Sunday Service, 29 December 2024
Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Musical Prelude: After Sunset - Ethel Smyth (performed by Holly Redshaw and Andrew Robinson)
Opening Words: ‘For a New Year’ by Amanda Poppei (adapted)
Friends, we have almost arrived: we are on the brink of 2025.
We are approaching the boundary of time, into the next year,
with all its resolutions and plans and schedules ahead of us.
Let us pause, for just this moment, before we move boldly onward.
Let us pause to deepen our awareness and appreciation of those around us,
to sense their presence with us this morning; to know their presence in our lives.
Let us pause to consider the wintery natural world; the trees,
their branches stripped bare, their elegant limbs on display.
Let us pause to feel the spirit of life and love that ties us to each other,
that winds its way through our very bones and settles in our hearts.
Before we move forward, armed with resolutions that
may be forgotten all too soon in the day-to-day of living,
let us notice what it is that remains every year, every day.
What exists beyond schedules and months, beyond time.
That deeper reality which welcomes us to life, abundant life,
not just at the start of the year, but every day that we live.
Words of Welcome and Introduction:
These words by Amanda Poppei welcome all who have gathered this morning for our Sunday service, the last one of 2024. Welcome to those of you who have gathered in-person at Essex Church, to all who are joining us via Zoom, and anyone watching on YouTube or listening to the podcast. For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Jane Blackall, and I’m minister with Kensington Unitarians.
This morning – prompted by the season and the fast-approaching year’s end – we’ll be thinking about making changes in our lives. Some of us will be formulating our New Year's resolutions, setting intentions, or making commitments for the year ahead – if you’re not doing that already you might start thinking about it in our New Year’s mini-retreat which is happening this afternoon in-person and online on New Year’s Day – maybe some of us have given up on making resolutions (or indeed given up on trying to change ourselves). Either way, this morning we’ll take some time to ponder the business of making changes, large and small, and reflect on changes in our past, present, and future.
Chalice Lighting: ‘Why We’re Here’ by Erik Walker Wikstrom (adapted)
Let’s light our chalice flame now, as we do each week. It’s a moment for us to stop and take a breath, settle ourselves down, put aside any preoccupations we came in carrying. This simple ritual connects us in solidarity with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over, and reminds us of the proud and historic progressive religious tradition of which this gathering is part.
(light chalice)
Here, today, in this place and with these people,
May we listen so that we can hear;
May we hear so that we can feel;
May we feel so that we can know; and
May we know so that we can change ourselves, and this world, for the better.
May this chalice flame that we kindle light our Way. (pause)
Hymn (on sheet): ‘The World Needs Love’
Let’s sing together. Our first hymn is on your hymn sheet: ‘The World Needs Love’ (it’s to a tune that will be familiar to most of us, Finlandia). All of our hymns might seem a bit tangential to our theme but they have that sense of making changes in our lives, in the way that we act, in order to change the world and make it a better place. For those joining via zoom the words will be up on screen (as they will for all our hymns). Feel free to stand or sit as you prefer and let’s sing up as best we can.
The world needs love; so many hearts are hurting.
Grace, work through us, help us to spread your peace,
bringing to all - through your forgiving spirit -
freedom from guilt, from bitterness release.
Reconcile us; help us to share your calmness,
’till anger stills and all our conflicts cease.
The world needs hope, a vision for the future,
what life might be, if all would live in you.
Help us to lead - through your transforming spirit -
lives that reflect what you would have us do,
to share our gifts, show forth your loving kindness,
encourage all to find their hope in you.
The world needs faith, a willing dedication
of all we are and all we might yet be.
Help us to serve - through your empowering spirit -
in active faith in our community.
Love for each soul, respecting and upholding,
declares the worth of all humanity.
The world needs joy, a sense of celebration
that human lives have such diversity.
Help us to see - through your dynamic spirit -
each person’s part in life’s vitality.
Sharing our joys, supporting others’ sorrows
make our small world a better place to be.
Candles of Joy and Concern:
Each week when we gather together, we share a simple ritual of candles of joy and concern, an opportunity to light a candle and share something that is in our heart with the community. So we’ve an opportunity now, for anyone who would like to do so, to light a candle and say a few words about what it represents. We’ll go to the people in the building first, then to Zoom.
So I invite some of you here in person to come and light a candle and then if you wish to tell us briefly who or what you light your candle for. I’m going to ask you to come to the lectern to speak this time as I really want people to be able to hear you and I don’t want to keep nagging you about getting close to the handheld mic. And if you can’t get to the microphone give me a wave and I’ll bring a handheld mic over to you. Thank you.
(in person candles)
And if that’s everyone in the room we’ll go over to the people on Zoom next – you might like to switch to gallery view at this stage – just unmute yourselves when you are ready and speak out – and we should be able to hear you and see you up on the big screen here in the church.
(zoom candles)
And I’m going to light one more candle, as we often do, to represent all those joys and concerns that we hold in our hearts this day, but which we don’t feel able to speak out loud. (light candle)
Time of Prayer & Reflection: based on words by Lyn Cox
Let’s take those joys and concerns into an extended time of prayer. This prayer is based on words by Lyn Cox You might first want to adjust your position for comfort, close your eyes, or soften your gaze. There might be a posture that helps you feel more prayerful. Whatever works for you. Do whatever you need to do to get into the right state of body and mind for us to pray together – to be fully present here and now, in this sacred time and space – with ourselves, with each other, and with that which is both within us and beyond us. (pause)
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we live and move and have our being,
we turn our full attention to you, the light within and without,
as we tune in to the depths of this life, and the greater wisdom
to which – and through which – we are all intimately connected.
Be with us now as we allow ourselves to drop into the
silence and stillness at the very centre of our being. (pause)
This morning we give thanks for the gift of renewal.
We give thanks for the ability to begin again, to start over;
after each time of trial and loss, each season of struggle and sorrow;
the capacity for endurance in the midst of life’s uncertainty,
and openness to the emergence of new possibilities.
Grant us the courage to continue on the journey,
the courage to act and speak for the well-being
of others and ourselves and the planet we share.
May we forgive ourselves and each other
when our courage and care falls short,
and may we resolve to try again.
Grant us hearts to love boldly,
to embody our faith and our values
in living words and deeds.
May we care and be cared for.
May our hearts open to embrace
humility, grace, and reconciliation.
Grant us the ability to learn and grow,
to let the Spirit of Love and Truth work
its transformation upon us and within us.
Grant us the spirit of radical hospitality,
the willingness to sustain a dwelling place
for the holy that resides in all being.
Grant us a sense of being at peace in the world,
even as we are in perpetual motion,
tossed and turned by life’s tempests.
Let us cultivate – together – the strength
to welcome every kind of gift life brings our way
and all manner of ways to be on the journey together. (pause)
And let us take a few quiet moments now to look inward, to get in touch with what’s real,
what is going on beneath the surface of our lives this morning. Let us notice what we’re carrying.
What troubles us. What questions or uncertainties we are faced with. What hopes we nurture.
(pause)
And from that place of realness – silently, inwardly, ask for what you most need – don’t get too hung up on who or what you’re asking – maybe it’s God, maybe you’re casting it out into the Universe. Even if you’re the only one to hear your prayer – be clear on what you need in this moment.
(pause)
And let us also be sure to give thanks for what we already have. Let us look back on the week and recall all those moments – large or small – of kindness, generosity, comfort – even moments of joy. Silently, inwardly, take the time to savour those gifts, connect with gratitude, and take in the good.
(pause)
And let us turn outwards now, shifting our attention to the world around us, from those who are closest to our heart, to neighbours and strangers, our wider community, stretching ever onward,
as we sense our connection to every living being we share this planet with, and hold them all in love. (pause)
Spirit of Life – God of all Love – as this time of prayer comes to a close, we offer up
our joys and concerns, our hopes and fears, our beauty and brokenness,
and we call on you for insight, healing, and renewal.
As we look forward now to the coming week,
help us to live well each day and be our best selves;
using our unique gifts in the service of love, justice and peace. Amen.
Hymn 156 (green): ‘The Harvest of Truth’
Let’s sing again now – our next hymn is 156 in your green books, ‘The Harvest of Truth’ – it speaks of that kind of striving to live a better life (and to be our best selves) that New Year’s resolutions represent. We have sung this one before, we had it for the induction service at the start of the year – but it’s not one we do often so I’ll ask Andrew to play it through before we sing.
O live each day and live it well -
All else is life but flung away:
Who lives a life of love can tell
Of true things truly done each day.
Be what thou seemest live thy creed;
Hold up to earth the torch divine;
Be what thou prayest to be made;
The thirst for righteousness be thine.
Fill up each hour with what will last;
Use well the moments as they go;
Into life’s soil thy seed is cast —
Thy deeds into a harvest grow.
Sow truth, if thou the true wouldst reap;
Who sows the false shall reap the vain;
Erect and sound thy conscience keep,
From hollow words and deeds refrain.
Sow love, and taste its fruitage pure;
Sow peace, and reap its harvest bright;
Sow sunbeams on the rock and moor,
And find a harvest-home of light.
Reading: ‘New Year’s Resolution’ (a villanelle) by Evan Mantyk (read by Brian)
The New Year brings with it a gleaming hope
That lights the way into a better place;
But first, with faith you have to grasp the rope
And climb up days’ and months’ increasing slope
While sticking to a steady long-term pace—
The New Year brings with it a gleaming hope.
Be clear and focused like a telescope
That sees what’s true within a grander space;
But first, with faith you have to grasp the rope.
In times like these it can be hard to cope
With little daily challenges we face.
The New Year brings with it a gleaming hope.
Imagine Martin Luther were made pope,
And wretched debts were now transformed by grace;
But first, with faith you have to grasp the rope
The Creator has scrubbed clean with rose-tinged soap
And made for hands to perfectly embrace.
The New Year brings with it a gleaming hope,
But first, with faith you have to grasp the rope.
Hymn 201 (green): ‘Tomorrow is a Highway’
Thanks Brian. Let’s sing again. Our next hymn is in your green book, 201, ‘Tomorrow is a Highway’. It’s a folk song by Pete Seeger (who was, as it happens, Unitarian Universalist). I have no idea how well known this one is (it was new to me even though it was presumably written in the 1960s!) so I sent a link round in the Friday email. So once again I’ll ask Andrew to play it through once before we sing.
Tomorrow is a highway broad and fair,
And we are the many who’ll travel there.
Tomorrow is a highway broad and fair,
And we are the hands who’ll build it there,
And we will build it there.
Come, let us build a way for humankind,
A way to leave all hate and wrong behind;
And travel onward to a better year,
Where love is, and there will be no fear,
Where love is, and no fear.
O come then friend, and travel on with me,
We’ll go to a time of liberty.
Come, let us walk together, hand in hand,
From darkness, into a happy land,
From darkness to sunlit land.
Tomorrow is a highway broad and fair,
And hate and greed shall never travel there;
But only they who’ve learned the peaceful way
Of fellowship to bring a better day;
We’ll see that coming day!
Reading: ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ by Jim Sanderson (excerpts, adapted) (read by ?Antony)
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you keep them? Clearly the practice relates to the idea of a new start, of the power of the new year to purify us from our past. We do mean to keep them, but…
What does this practice say about us? Well for one thing I think it may prove the old saying, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast”. Every year we promise ourselves that we will do better, that we will kick this or that habit, that we will be more generous or more realistic, that we will be “new and improved”. For me this does point to one of our better traits as human beings. We do believe in the possibility of improvement; we have faith in ourselves. We have a desire to constantly remake ourselves. It is not human nature to freeze in time, to see ourselves as completed. We are works in progress. New Year’s resolutions testify to our hopefulness.
They also testify to our faith in our abilities. We resolve to make the changes we think we should. We proclaim what we intend to do. I like this idea of annually reaffirming our potential, our power to grow—particularly as we join it to a sense of responsibility. By making resolutions we assume the responsibility to see them through.
This is another aspect of the custom I like. It calls on us to focus on what we can accomplish. We cannot resolve to be free of illness; we can resolve to take more actions that are conducive to good health. We cannot resolve to be more loved; we can resolve to be more lovable. You see my point. New Year’s resolutions are about what we can do. In a prayer one might ask for almost anything, but a resolution is a request we make of ourselves.
Resolutions are starting to sound like a very Unitarian thing to do. They affirm our humanity, speak to our hopes, and call on us to take responsibility—all very Unitarian values. There is another Unitarian value we can bring to New Year’s resolutions: our commitment to being realistic. Perhaps the reason many resolutions go by the board is that they were unrealistic in the first place. We simply asked too much of ourselves, or failed to consider external forces.
I think this might be a Unitarian way to do New Year resolutions: Set achievable goals for yourself. Resolve to change, but to acknowledge that we are human, and that as such we can be creatures of habit. Make resolutions that acknowledge not only our strengths and hopes, but also our weaknesses. Accept that weaknesses are part of being human and that we have to deal with them. Perhaps simpler resolutions will lead us to follow through on them and thus develop our ability to follow through even further. Perhaps by avoiding the sense of defeat that comes with breaking an unrealistic resolution, we can increase our sense of hopefulness.
Remember too that the year is a cycle, and there really is no fixed starting point. We can start anew on any day of the year. Perhaps it is just as well that January 1st is a very ordinary day: No great seasonal change, no important historical anniversary, a day like any other. Just another day on which we can resolve anew to change ourselves.
Words for Meditation: ‘Changes We Have Already Made’
We’re moving into a time of meditation now. During this quite time I’m going to invite you to reflect on all those changes you’ve already made in your life so far. At this time of year, if we’re thinking about new year’s resolutions, changes we still want to make – to our habits, our behaviour, our circumstances – it can be helpful and encouraging to take a moment to remember all those changes that we’ve already made – the ones that did stick. If we did it before, there’s hope that we can do it again. So I’m just going to share a few prompts regarding changes you might already have made – and there’s a little slip in your order of service where you can jot those down if you’d like to.
The words will take us into a few minutes of shared silence which will end with the sound of a bell. And then Andrew will play for us – a special request appropriate to our theme today. So let’s each do what we need to do to get comfortable – adjust your position if you need to – perhaps put your feet flat on the floor to ground and steady yourself – maybe close your eyes. As we always say, the words are just an offering, feel free to use this time to meditate in your own way.
So as we move into this time of shared silence and stillness I invite you to reflect on all those changes you have already made in your life so far – perhaps focusing on those changes that made your life better in some way – maybe hugely significant changes or only small ones.
Breaking a habit or giving something up
Establishing a new habit or taking something up
Making a commitment to something you care about
Letting go of a commitment that’s run its course
Learning something new or developing a new skill
Cultivating a virtue or working on personal growth
Making a leap to alter that has altered life’s whole direction
Let us recall and appreciate all these changes we have made as we enter into shared stillness now.
Period of Silence and Stillness (~3 minutes) – end with a bell
Interlude: Changes – David Bowie (performed by Andrew Robinson)
Reading: ‘The Wisdom to Know the Difference’ by Peter Friedrichs (excerpts, adapted)
‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.’
Most of us are familiar with these words, which are often referred to as the “Serenity Prayer.” Its adoption by Alcoholics Anonymous in the middle of last century and its incorporation into other 12-Step programs has brought this prayer into nearly universal awareness… The Serenity Prayer has been literally life-saving for hundreds of thousands of people over the decades it’s been in use. Its power in peoples’ lives is immeasurable and it is treasured by them.
In just 27 words, the Serenity Prayer encapsulates the heart and soul of our human condition. The first sentence is about being in control. As hard as it is to admit it sometimes, we know we are finite and fallible people and that, therefore, some things are beyond our control. We seek to gain acceptance for those things. The second sentence reminds us, though, that not everything is beyond us. As individuals with at least some power and volition, we are also able to exercise our agency over some of our circumstances. We seek the determination to seize and act upon those opportunities when they arise. And then, in the third sentence, we name yet another central fact in our lives: “the way is often hard, the path is never clear and the stakes are very high.” We seek the power of discernment, an unmuddling of our minds, the conversion of confusion into clarity. We ask for wisdom. The three parts are intimately connected and interwoven. We cannot achieve the serenity of the first movement or the courage of the second without achieving some measure of the wisdom we seek in the third.
We could spend lots of time talking about what we can or cannot change. About the scope of our power and the magnificence of our impotence. About how our image of ourselves as independent actors, in control of our lives, is often at odds with our circumstances. We could reflect on what form courage takes. Courage to make a change. Courage to stick to what we’ve always done. Or what we mean by the term “serenity.” What it looks like, what it feels like, how to achieve it. But I want to focus on that part of the prayer in which we seek the wisdom to know the difference between the things we can change and those we cannot.
This part of the prayer raises the challenging question of discernment. Between what we can change and what we’re powerless to do. Between right and wrong. Between good and evil, even. When we’re talking about discernment, we’re usually not talking about simply making a simple either/or choice. About taking a sheet of paper and dividing it down the middle and putting the pros on one side and the cons on the other, then totting them up to see which side wins. Wisdom and discernment are altogether different. They imply a deeper quality of what I’ll call “knowing.”
So, where does wisdom come from? How do we gain the wisdom to know the difference? Since the Serenity Prayer is a prayer, maybe that’s a good place to start. I define prayer as an opening up to all that is beyond us and outside of us. It’s about making connections with both the known and the unknown. It’s admitting that we’re finite, but that we’re a part of an infinite system of wonder and mystery. When we can “plug in” to that system, when we can experience our unity with it, we’re opening ourselves up to its wisdom. Experience can be a source of wisdom, too. But experience can be a tough teacher, and sometimes we’re not such great learners either.
Deep and abiding wisdom can be gleaned from a variety of sources. But I believe that ultimately it comes down to a single spiritual practice: listening. Listening to what others who have our best interest at heart are telling us. Listening to what our intuition, our heart, our soul is telling us. And engaging in practices that creating channels for the songs of the Universe to penetrate through all the noise of our lives and to reach us in our deepest, in-most places. I choose to believe that wisdom is available to all of us, all the time, if we but stop, look, and listen.
(pause) Words by Peter Friedrichs.
Mini-Reflection: ‘Making Changes’ by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Just a few additional thoughts from me on this business of making change in our lives – something that we can do any day, as we heard in one of the earlier readings, but it’s something which many of us particularly focus on at the turn of the calendar year, when New Year’s Resolutions come to mind.
I want to preface my remarks by saying – this is one of those ‘both-and’ topics – it’s so often the case that I seem to be saying two apparently contradictory things at once when I stand up here. At least two! Sometimes more. There are two contrary messages that are both true, I reckon, but inevitably they’re in tension with each other: one is a message of self-acceptance, that you are good and worthy and loved just as you are; the other is a message of self-improvement, that there are always things we could pay attention to, do a bit of work on, to change our ways and change our life for the better (perhaps with the hope that any changes we make will have a positive impact on those around us and ripple outwards for the benefit of the wider world).
Some of you may have heard the saying – I think I picked this up from Anne Lamott – the idea that God loves us exactly the way we are… and loves us too much to let us stay like this. There are parallels with the way in which we might love a baby or a toddler just as they are but still encourage them to learn to walk, and talk, and eventually make their own way in the world). However young, or old, or set-in-our-ways we might be, as this New Year rolls around, we’re still not the finished article. As we heard in the reading that ?Antony gave earlier, from Jim Sanderson, ‘It is not human nature to freeze in time, to see ourselves as completed. We are works in progress’.
I’ve put some words on the front of today’s order of service from M.J. Ryan, who wrote a book titled ‘This Year I Will…’, all about how to go about making changes in our lives that stick. She wrote: ‘I believe that people can change. Not just superficially, or temporarily. I believe that we have the ability within us to truly rearrange our inner landscape and make changes happen within ourselves and our lives. We can stop doing the things that hold us back or cause us suffering and create a life filled with meaning, peace, and ultimately happiness.’ M.J. Ryan.
So in that spirit I invite you to return to the little slip of green paper in your order of service – and turn it over – in the meditation we looked back to all the positive changes we’ve already made in our lives in the past – now I encourage you to look forward and ask: what’s next? Think about all the same prompts I offered in the meditation: old habits you might let go of, or new habits which you might take up; new commitments you might sign up for, or old ones that have run their course; learning new things, focusing on some aspect of personal growth, or even making some great dramatic leap that might change the whole direction of your life! Perhaps you might jot down a whole bunch of thoughts (and you can take your time! You don’t have to commit to something right this minute… and indeed if you’re coming to our New Year’s mini-retreat this afternoon or on New Year’s Day that’s a perfect opportunity to ponder such questions and more). But perhaps you can just pick one relatively modest, realistic, achievable change to focus on. And back yourself! Affirm your own potential to carry on changing and growing for as long as you live. No matter how things have been in the past – there is grace – you can turn a new page and start over.
And as Peter Friedrichs said in that reading I just shared – perhaps we can keep the serenity prayer in mind – and I’d suggest we each pray about these changes we want to see in our lives. Not just praying for ‘the wisdom to know the difference’ – but praying for guidance and clarity about where to focus our effort and attention, whether we’re ‘rearranging our inner landscape’ or dealing with some of the nuts-and-bolts practicalities of how we order our daily lives – what should we prioritise right now, at this particular moment, this step on our life’s journey? Or maybe we need to pray for help, for courage, for strength and endurance, to stay on the path when the going gets tough. Change is not easy. So reach out for help – to friends – to God.
And in that spirit I want to close with a prayer – a blessing for the new year – by Beth Monhollen.
‘Blessing for the New Year’ by Beth Monhollen
In this new year, may we leave behind the weight of unfulfilled resolutions,
of unrealized dreams, and of unrealistic expectations.
May we unpack the heavy weight of stories that tell us we are unworthy and unlovable.
May we remember that we each carry inside of us a spark of the Divine.
In this new year, may we carry kindness, gentleness and hope
that hold us through even the hardest days and the most daunting risks.
May we carry the weight of memory that reminds us of who we are,
the weight of spirit that reminds us we are still becoming.
May we carry the seed of knowledge that teaches us that improvement and growth
aren’t linear and individualistic but are cyclical and communal.
May we carry the wisdom to seek rest and connection, to lean into mutual care.
May we carry the certain belief that when we have patterns of thinking and behaving that
harm ourselves and others, we can seek resources that will help us move towards healing.
May we carry the knowledge that happiness and success
take many shapes and one of those shapes is purpose.
May we carry purpose lightly, trusting that it changes and evolves and surprises us.
May we carry curiosity, wonder, and the ability to be surprised.
This year, may we carry space for all of our flaws, all of our longings,
and all of our love, remembering that the truly daring adventure of life
is not to be better-better-best! but to show up wholly, authentically, lovingly as ourselves.
May we carry these prayers and carry each other into the new year. Amen.
Hymn (on sheet): ‘Now We Sing to Praise Love’s Blessing’
Let’s sing again. Our final hymn is on your hymn sheet: ‘Now We Sing to Praise Love’s Blessing’.
Now we sing to praise love’s blessing
all through our lives,
laughter, joy, surprise, confessing
all through our lives,
love that dreamed a new creation,
love that dares through incarnation,
love that offers transformation
all through our lives.
How our wounds ache for love’s healing
all through our days;
how our world needs love’s revealing
in all its ways.
Fearful hearts suspect the stranger,
hardened nations arm for danger,
love lives on, the powerful changer,
all though our days.
Love’s the grace that makes us caring
all through our lives,
urges us to warmth and sharing
all through our lives,
speaks in us, oppression naming,
strives in us. injustice shaming,
lives in us, true peace proclaiming
all through our lives.
Love’s the clown that mocks at winning
all through the world,
midwife of each new beginning
all through the world,
in the struggles that confound us,
in the chaos all around us
love’s wide arms with hope surround us
all through the world.
In God’s faithful love we flourish
all through our lives;
known and loved, each other nourish
all through our lives;
though the world’s demands are pressing,
what life brings is left to guessing,
still we sing to praise love’s blessing
all through our lives.
Announcements:
Thanks to Jeannene for tech-hosting. Thanks to ?Antony and Brian for reading. Thanks to Andrew, Holly and Benjie for lovely music today. Thanks to Juliet for greeting and Marianne for doing the coffee. For those of you who are here in-person – please do stay for a cuppa and cake – I’ve gone for a classic Victoria sponge this week.
Don’t forget we’ve got our in-person New Year’s Mini-Retreat this afternoon – if you’ve signed up for that and you need to get some lunch first please do pop out and make sure you’re back here and settled here in the church by 1pm – or you can join us online on the 1st January from 1-4pm (email me if you want to sign up for that and I’ll send the details in a day or two).
Tonight we’ve got the Better World Book Club on Zoom, if you told me you were coming to that you should already have the link, we’re talking about ‘Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise’. Next month we’re reading ‘How We Break’ by Vincent Deary, and we have a few copies to loan out, so let me know if you want to join us for our next gathering in January.
Looking a bit further ahead we’re planning an afternoon of art and craft play on 19th January – let me know if you’re planning to come to that – that will help us plan what we’re offering and how.
On Friday at 7pm we’ve got our regular ‘Heart and Soul’ online contemplative spiritual gathering – this week’ we’re considering ‘The Long Game’ – that’s about the importance of long-term thinking.
Next Sunday I’m having a day off! But Sarah will be here at 11am to lead a service on ‘Epiphany’.
Details of all our various activities are printed on the back of the order of service, for you to take away, and also in the Friday email. Or why not take home a copy of our new fancy newsletter?
The congregation very much has a life beyond Sunday mornings; we encourage you to keep in touch, look out for each other, and do what you can to nurture supportive connections.
Time for our closing words and closing music now.
Benediction: based on words by Emily Richards
May you leave this time together changed.
May the promises you have made
to yourself about who you want to be
feel closer to the reality of who you are right now.
May you share that feeling of transformation wherever you go.
May it spread into every word, deed, thought, and interaction
until we are all changed, transformed and transforming together,
becoming our better selves – for the greater good of all. Amen.
Closing Music: Psyché - Emile Paladilhe (performed by Holly Redshaw and Andrew Robinson)
Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
29th December 2024