Community - Listen To This Dream
Updated: Sep 6
Sunday Service, 6 September 2026
Led by Rev. Dr. Rory Castle-Jones
Musical Prelude: All That I Am – William Himes arranged by Gerry Shoults (performed by Pippa Scourse and Andrew Robinson)
Opening Words: ‘We Gather Here in this Holy Place’
“We gather here in this holy place,
We gather as an inclusive and open-minded congregation of spiritual seekers,
We gather to learn from the teachings of humanity’s wise women and men,
We gather to love God, and to love our neighbour.”
Words of Welcome and Introduction:
Good morning. Welcome to our service. My name is Rev. Rory Castle Jones, and I am the minister of Gellionnen Chapel and Graig Trebanos Community Hub, in South Wales. Thank you for inviting me to lead worship with you here at Kensington Unitarians. I am truly delighted to be here.
Chalice Lighting: by Rev. Eirion Phillips
There are many threads which unite our two congregations.
Myself and your wonderful minister, Rev. Jane Blackall, trained together at Unitarian College.
And my immediate predecessor as minister of Gellionnen Chapel was the late Rev. Eirion Phillips, who was minister of Kensington Unitarians for 11 years, from 1965 to 1976.
I’m not sure if anyone here this morning has a memory which stretches back to 1976… none of you look anywhere near old enough for that!
But I thought it would be fitting to begin our service with some words written by Eirion, a wonderful man who served both my congregation and yours – and the wider Unitarian movement – all of his life.
Now Eirion was a Welsh-speaker and back in the 1970s there was still a Welsh-speaking Unitarian congregation in London, and he served as their minister too.
And so, we light our chalice today, with these words, by the late Rev. Eirion Phillips, in the Welsh language, and then in English:
“Down ynghyd yn y man cysegredig hwn
i dreilio awr dawel yng nghwmni ein gilydd;
i rhannu meddyliau na ellir eu llefaru;
i gynorthwyo ein gilydd i chwilio am wirionedd
ac i agoshau at ein gilydd
mewn cymundeb ac mewn ffydd.”
“We come together in this sacred place
to spend a quiet hour in each other's company;
to share thoughts that cannot be spoken;
to help each other to search for truth
and to draw closer to each other
in communion and in faith.”
Hymn 68 (purple): ‘I Dream of a Church’
(Rory to introduce hymn)
I dream of a church that joins in with God's laughing
as she rocks in her rapture, enjoying her art:
she's glad of her world, in its risking and growing:
'tis the child she has borne and holds close to her heart.
I dream of a church that joins in with God's weeping
as she crouches, weighed down by the sorrow she sees:
she cries for the hostile, the cold and no-hoping,
for she bears in herself our despair and dis-ease.
I dream of a church that joins in with God's dancing
as she moves like the wind and the wave and the fire:
a church that can pick up its skirts, pirouetting,
with the steps that can signal God's deepest desire.
I dream of a church that joins in with God's loving
as she bends to embrace the unlovely and lost,
a church that can free, by its sharing and daring,
the imprisoned and poor, and then shoulder the cost.
God, make us a church that joins in with your living,
as you cherish and challenge, rein in and release,
a church that is winsome, impassioned, inspiring;
lioness of your justice and lamb of your peace.
Candles of Joy and Concern: (8 minutes)
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.
Do come up and tell us who or what you want to light a candle for.
I’ll take care of the candle lighting, while you come to the microphone so that everyone can hear you.
And please keep it reasonably brief so that everyone who wants to speak will have a chance to do so.
(in person candles)
If that’s everyone in the room we’ll go over to the people on Zoom next –
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)
If that’s everybody, I’m going to light one more candle,
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.
Time of Prayer & Reflection:
And now, let us pray.
God of Many Names, Spirit of Life,
We give thanks for your unfailing love, that you are with us in our daily lives, through good times and bad, and that you are here with us in our worship this morning.
We acknowledge our shortcomings and failings in the past week, the times when we have fallen short, when we have not been our best selves, when we have failed to love our earth, to love our neighbour, to show love and compassion to ourselves.
We pray today that in the week ahead we be filled with a spirit of love, compassion and kindness, and that we reach higher and closer to you in all that we do.
We pray for those in our church community who are struggling, with physical or mental health, with hardship, loneliness, grief, or other challenges. We pray that we find ways to be there for them, to help them, to love them.
We pray for our community here in Kensington, across London, across our nation, and across the whole globe.
We pray for those who live in poverty, in hunger, in places of violence and conflict.
We pray for all peoples, for animals, birds and fish, for trees, plants and seas, for all of your creation.
As we gather in sacred community here this morning, may we be reminded of your unfailing love for us, for our neighbours, and for this world.
May we strive to live up to the dreams of ancient prophets and to the dreamers of our own times, who dream of a church, of a community, of a world, whose guiding principles are not profit, power and greed, but peace, compassion, and love.
May it be so. AMEN
Hymn 205 (purple): ‘When I See The Purple Heather’
This hymn was written by another former minister of my congregation, written about the mountain on which Gellionnen Chapel sits, high above the Swansea Valley, and looking down to the sea. A place of beauty, history and soul.
When I see the purple heather
like a gown upon the hill;
when I see the lark ascending
to the sweetness of its trill;
I'm reminded of the mountain
and the love that will not cease,
of the teacher of God's kingdom
and the angels' song of peace.
When I see the lake reflecting
in its mirror light of day;
when I see in April pastures
sheep that graze and lambs that play;
I'm reminded of the healing
on the shores of Galilee,
and the ‘Lord’ who ‘is my shepherd’
who will lead and comfort me.
When I see the pathway winding
on and on so far ahead;
when I see the river widening
as it flows along its bed:
I can hear a voice proclaiming,
‘I'm the way, so do not grieve;
peace I give like flowing waters;
do not fear - my peace I leave’.
Reading: ‘Joseph and His Coat’ (My Very First Bible)
In my ministry, I spend a lot of time with children and I love sharing Bible stories with them and talking about them together, as we work out what they might have to say to us in our lives today. I hope you will indulge me now as I share one of the stories with you, ‘Joseph and His Coat of Many Colours’…
Words Leading Into Meditation:
We move now into a time for personal prayer, reflection and meditation, beginning with a song inspired by the story we have just heard, by the late great Dolly Parton.
After the song, there will be a few minutes of silence, followed by our musical interlude…
Music for Meditation: ‘Coat of Many Colours’ by Dolly Parton
(Ramona to share the music)
Period of Silence and Stillness (~3 minutes) – end with a bell
Interlude: Share My Yoke – Joy Webb arranged by Ivor Bosanko (performed by Pippa Scourse and Andrew Robinson)
God, may you hear the sincere prayers offered by the words of our mouths and the silence of our hearts. AMEN
Reading: Genesis 37:2-6
Our second reading comes from the story of Joseph in the Hebrew Bible, from Genesis, chapter 37, verses 2 to 6:
2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.
4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.
5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.
6 “Listen to this dream,” he said.
Hymn 198 (purple): ‘We’ll Build a Land’
(Rory to introduce hymn)
We'll build a land where we bind up the broken.
We'll build a land where the captives go free,
where the oil of gladness dissolves all mourning.
O, we'll build a promised land that can be.
Come build a land where sisters and brothers,
anointed by God, may then create peace:
where justice shall roll down like waters,
and peace like an ever flowing stream.
We'll build a land where we bring the good tidings
to all the afflicted and all those who mourn.
And we'll give them garlands instead of ashes.
O, we'll build a land where peace is born.
We'll be a land building up ancient cities,
raising up devastations of old;
restoring ruins of generations.
O, we'll build a land of people so bold.
Come, build a land where the mantles of praises
resound from spirits once faint and once weak;
where like oaks of righteousness stand her people.
O, come build the land, my people we seek.
Sermon: ‘Listen To This Dream’ by Rev. Dr. Rory Castle-Jones
“Listen to this dream” – Gen. 37:6
“Listen to this dream”. Those are the words Joseph said to his brothers in the story we have shared this morning: “Listen to this dream.”
Dreams got Joseph into BIG trouble. His dreams made his brothers jealous, so jealous that they wanted to murder him, but instead settled for selling him into slavery. Then, in Egypt, in a dark prison cell, Joseph’s ability to listen to and understand other people’s dreams allowed him to show others their destiny. He revealed to the King’s cupbearer that he would be freed in 3 days. But had to break it to the King’s baker that in 3 days time… he would be executed. And then, of course, Joseph’s knack with dreams got him into the King’s inner circle, he saved the Egyptians from famine, and was made governor of all Egypt. Quite a story arc!
The story of Joseph and his coat of many colours has inspired countless people over the millennia. Particularly perhaps those who have experienced, like Joseph, family rejection, being different, or who have had ‘rags to riches’ dreams. One such person was Dolly Parton, who grew up in poverty in a shack in Tennessee, with no money, but with a loving family. Her song, which we have just heard, is a powerful reminder of what is truly important in life.
There is a famous Welsh hymn called ‘Calon Lân’ – we sang the tune in our second hymn. The usual words sung to that tune are in Welsh:
“Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus,
Aur y byd na'i berlau mân:
Gofyn wyf am galon hapus,
Calon onest, calon lân.”
and in English they mean:
“I don’t ask for a life of luxury,
The world’s gold or its finest pearls,
I simply ask for a happy heart,
An honest heart, a pure heart.”
It is a hymn sung in most Welsh weddings and funerals, in primary school assemblies and at rugby matches. It captures something of the Welsh spirit – and perhaps the spirit of the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. Even when Joseph reached the dizzy heights of wealth and power in Egypt, his only dream was one of the heart - to see his father again, to be with his people again. Our deepest, most important dreams are rarely of Ferraris and diamonds, or even beautiful coats of many colours. Our deepest dreams are dreams about love, about belonging, about community. They are dreams of the heart.
Why am I talking to you about dreams this morning? Well, it’s really because I’m here to thank you for helping a dream become a reality. Your congregation has generously supported mine in an ambitious project – a dream – to convert a disused chapel into a vibrant, inclusive community hub. And on behalf of myself, my congregation and my community, I want to say thank you to you all.
My community is in the South Wales Valleys – a place of history, beauty, culture, song, and strong community. But we have our challenges too – unemployment (a problem since the mines closed in the 1980s), mental health, isolation, addiction, cuts and closures of public services, and poverty. The South Wales Valleys is one of the most economically deprived post-industrial regions of Western Europe. As Dolly Parton once sang, “we’ve got no money, but we’re rich in love.” And we’re rich in dreams too!
When Graig Unitarian Chapel closed in 2017, it was going to be sold off. A pretty Victorian chapel and its 1930s hall, built by miners and their wives, who scraped together every penny to build a haven of freedom, reason and tolerance for their community. And it was going to be sold off for redevelopment, possibly demolition. A community asset, lost forever.
Thankfully, ownership of the chapel sat with nearby Gellionnen Chapel, whose treasurer, Robert, had a dream. He dreamt of a community hub and garden, a place for mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing for all in our community, including those most in need. The other trustees believed in Robert’s dream and a pilot scheme began in 2021. That year, I was appointed part-time minister to both Gellionnen and Graig chapels. This year, five years later, I have been able to go full-time thanks to a growing congregation, brilliant volunteers, and the support of the Unitarian Innovation Fund, which involves donations from a number of Unitarian individuals, trusts and churches.
Our biggest single donor is you. Kensington Unitarians have given us £10,000 for the first two years of our five-year project. And I am not exaggerating when I say that without your support, our work would not be possible.
Today, in the fifth month of our project, the fledgling Graig Trebanos Community Hub has: a weekly community Coffee Morning and meditation sessions; fortnightly primary school visits and ‘Soul Stories’ gatherings; two groups for adults with additional needs; and we are about to launch a free wellbeing course.
As we just sang in our last hymn: “Restoring ruins of generations, O, we’ll build a land of people so bold.”
You have helped make our community’s dream a reality. So, as we say in Wales, diolch o galon. Thank you – from the heart.
The Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism, once said: “Because we all share this planet earth, we have to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.”
And Dolly Parton once said: “You can’t just will your dreams to come true, you have to work hard. You have to give ‘em wings, arms, legs, whatever it takes to make your dreams come true.”
What are you dreams? Your dreams for yourself? For your church? For your community? For our world?
How can you – like Joseph, like the Dalai Lama, like Dolly Parton – work hard to make your dreams come true? What help do you need? How can you help others? How can we work together to realise our dreams for our world?
Well, we can start small. We have to start somewhere, after all. And the good news, as I’ve said, is that you are already helping a community in South Wales turn a dream into a reality, with your generous support, helping those most in need. And I’m so grateful to you all for listening to me sharing our dream with you today.
To draw our sermon to a close, I want to return to the words of the hymn we just sang together: “Come, build a land where the mantles of praises resound from spirits once faint and once weak; where like oaks of righteousness stand her people. O come build the land, my people we seek. Come build a land where sisters and brothers, anointed by God may then create peace: where justice shall roll down like waters, and peace like an ever flowing stream.”
May our dreams sustain us,
May our dreams inspire others,
May our dreams make our communities and our world a better place,
May our dreams come true.
And when we find ourselves doubting that change is possible,
Or worrying that our dreams are too big, or too bold,
That we are not good enough, not strong enough,
That no one will believe in our dreams,
Our even want to hear them,
Let us remember Dolly Parton, and the Dalai Lama, and the volunteers who are building the Graig Trebanos Community Hub in South Wales, and all those who work hard to follow their dreams, to help others.
And let us whisper those words which Joseph dared to utter to his brothers, many millennia ago, saying simply: “Listen… to this dream.”
AMEN
Hymn 191 (purple): ‘We Have a Dream’
(Rory to introduce last hymn)
We have a dream: this nation will arise,
and truly live according to its creed,
that all are equal in their maker’s eyes,
and none shall suffer though another’s greed.
We have a dream that one day we shall see
a world of justice, truth and equity,
where sons of slaves and daughters of the free
will share the banquet of community.
We have a dream of deserts brought to flower,
once made infertile by oppression’s heat,
when love and truth shall end oppressive power,
and streams of righteousness and justice meet.
We have a dream: our children shall be free
from judgements based on colour or on race;
free to become whatever they may be,
of their own choosing in the light of grace.
We have a dream that truth will overcome
the fear and anger of our present day;
that black and white will share a common home,
and hand in hand will walk the pilgrim way.
We have a dream: each valley will be raised,
and every mountain, every hill brought down;
then shall creation echo perfect praise,
and share God’s glory under freedom’s crown!
Announcements: (shared by Jane)
Just a few announcements from me. First of all, many thanks to Rory for leading our service, and for coming all this way. Thanks to Ramona for hosting and Aisha for co-hosting online – do stay around for a chat with Aisha after the service if you’re online this morning. Thanks to Pippa and Andrew for lovely music and Benjie for supporting our singing. Thanks to Juliet for greeting and Marianne for making the coffee. I’ve made Victoria Sponge or Apple and Pear cake this week.
We have various small group activities going on if you want to connect during the week. Heart and Soul, our contemplative spiritual gathering, is online tonight and Friday at 7pm, and this week it’s ‘All About Love’. Sign up with me – just drop me an email – if you want to come along to that.
Heidi and Roy have their art exhibition ‘Faraway Nearby’ opening at the Peggy Jay Gallery in Hampstead this week and the opening night is on Tuesday, all are welcome, info in Friday email.
I believe Sonya is back with her Nia classes at the church weekly from this Friday lunchtime! That’s holistic movement and dance. Get in touch with Sonya if you want to know more.
We’ve got a few bonus events coming up this month that you need to sign up for in various ways. The walking group is going to try and relaunch on Tuesday 22nd – we haven’t decided where we’re going yet – we’ll probably try to pick a location that suits whoever signs up… so do sign up! We were thwarted by weather and tube strikes in spring and summer so let’s hope we’re luckier now!
We’re holding our labyrinth mini-retreat on Wednesday 23rd September for the autumn equinox, that’s a bit of an unusual timing, on a weekday afternoon, which I know won’t work for everyone but it was tricky to schedule this time. That’s led by me and Sarah so do sign up if you’re coming.
And there will be a congregational lunch after the harvest service on Sunday 27th so please let Julia Alden know what food or drink you’re planning to bring along (and also it’d be great if you could bring along some item of fruit or veg with which to decorate our harvest table).
And the Better World Book Club is reading ‘Lowborn’ by Kerry Hudson this month, that’s an online group so you can join us from anywhere on the evening of the 27th, we have a few copies of this book to loan out if you’re interested – they’re at the back – let me know if you take one.
The autumn newsletter is out so please do take a copy of that if you haven’t already had one. You could even take a copy for a friend if you know someone who’d be interested in what we do here.
And we’ll be back next Sunday with our ‘Gathering the Waters’ service so, if you can, remember to bring along some water with you. It might be from somewhere you’ve travelled this summer, or it might be from your tap at home, and if you’re joining online please have some water to hand too.
Details of all our various activities are printed on the order of service, and also in the Friday email, so sign up for our mailing list if you haven’t already done so. 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.
Just time for our closing words and closing music – so I’ll hand back to Rory for our benediction.
Benediction: by Rev. Vanessa Titang
We extinguish our chalice flame, as we close of our worship, with these words by Rev. Vanessa Titang:
Like the flame of the chalice,
may the flame in our hearts burn,
remaining unextinguished.
May it ignite our energies, our drive, our resolve,
to dream, to build, and live into the world
that good which exists, for now, only in our imaginings.
Closing Music: Sliding Doors - Pamela Wedgwood (performed by Pippa Scourse and Andrew Robinson)
Rev. Dr. Rory Castle-Jones
6th September 2026