Openness to Possibility

Sunday Service, 25 May 2025

Led by Rev. Michael Allured

Opening Music: Allegro ma non troppo from Sonata no. 5 by Antonio Vivaldi (Abby and George)

Opening Words and Welcome: ‘Life’s Possibilities’

We gather once again to acknowledge life’s possibilities and to celebrate the enduring presence of love and kindness as the balm that sustains and nurtures us in life – that makes all possible.

We meet together this morning on ground made holy because of our ancestors, who have gathered here on days such as this - bringing memories, sorrows, worries and joys that make up the circle of our lives. 

We too draw together this morning with similar human feelings as we pause for a while and reach out to each other as part of the mystery of life.

We meet, as we always have, to ease our yearning to find meaning in our lives, to pursue a partial understanding of the nature of the unknown that some call God.  

We gather in honour of the passing of time as an affirmation of our being part of the Cosmos, connected to the past and future and living in the present. 

May our hearts be connected in our strength and fragility to embrace the timeless and enduring ways of goodness and love in service to each other and our world before the mystery within and the mystery beyond.

Welcome all who have gathered this morning, for our Sunday service. Welcome to those of you who have gathered in-person at Essex Church, to all who are joining us via Zoom from far and wide, and all who are viewing on YouTube or listening to the podcast at a later date. For anyone who doesn’t know me, my name is Michael Allured, and I’m minister with Golders Green Unitarians. It’s good to be with you again. 

This morning we are making space for each other to reflect on openness to possibility.

May we be present with open minds, loving hearts and outstretched hands.

Chalice Lighting: ‘Life Triumphant’ by Yvonne Aburrow

Joy to the World

Life calls to life

Arise! Awake!

Fear no more the silence of the tomb

For the lives of humanity are strung like pearls on the thread of the spirit

And the pearl shines in the darkness of the deep.

Life arises, Life unending, Life triumphant!

Spirit like a flame catching on the wick of flesh.

First Hymn: 280 (green) Morning Has Broken

Let’s sing together now. May the words touch hearts and heads. Number 280 in our GREEN hymnbook and for those joining via Zoom the words will be up on screen. Please stand or sit as you prefer.

Morning has broken, like the first morning,

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.

Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!

Praise for them springing, fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven,

Like the first dewfall on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight!  Mine is the morning!

Born of the one light, Eden saw play!

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God's recreation of the new day!  

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 who or what you light your candle for – please keep it brief – be considerate of others. I’m going to ask you to come to the lectern to speak, as we want people to be able to hear 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 and Reflection

We’re moving into a time of prayer now. Words interspersed with drops and pools of silence for your own inward reflection. This will be an extended time of prayer, maybe 5-6 minutes or so. You might first want to adjust your position for comfort, close your eyes, or soften your gaze. Take a few moments to find the posture that helps you feel comfortable, more aware.

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 and 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, as we consider what it means to be open to life’s possibilities, we give thanks for the ability to begin again: after the disaster, after the tragedy, after the loss, after meeting the challenge set before us. Grant us the courage to continue on the journey, the courage to speak up for the well-being of others and ourselves and the planet. May we forgive each other when our courage falls short, and may we try again.

Grant us hearts to love boldly, to embody our faith and our values in living words and deeds. 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 hospitality, the willingness to sustain a fit 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 motion.

May we cultivate together the strength to welcome every kind of gift and all manner of ways to be on the journey together. (short pause)

We gather together each Sunday with hearts full of life’s sorrows and joys. 

We try to make sense of life in general and often our own lives in particular. 

We long to find light to counter darkness, goodness to stand up to evil, generosity in place of meanness, connection and companionship not isolation and despair, compassion over unkindness.

We long to find hope and healing poured out through the hospitality of hearts.

Spirit of the Universe of our hearts and many names be with us now.

(short pause)

If you are holding someone in your heart this morning, I invite you to say their names aloud in the coming moments of stillness, and if you’re online please type your names into the chat box on Zoom. In our naming people in our hearts may we hold them in our thoughts and our prayers this morning.

(pause for names)

We give thanks for those who bring us joy, and pray for the safe keeping of those whom we hold in concern. For all those names, spoken and unspoken, may they be surrounded by the loving kindness we offer them today and in the coming week. 

We reach out with minds and hearts to all who are suffering because of war, famine, being homeless, poverty and the many other injustices and cruelties that humankind and sentient beings endure.  But there is goodness in the world.

Where it is found may it be nurtured

Where it is planted may it give comfort

Where it is given away to another may it spread hope.

For all the named and unnamed we hold in our hearts I light one more candle.

(light candle)

Amen.

Reading ‘Extra Grace’ by Elizabeth Stevens (read by Juliet)

I developed a theory: when we feel distressed and powerless in the face of current events, some people tend to turn toward spheres where we do have power—and exert it in unhealthy ways. Other folks, already harbouring raw nerves and bruised hearts, find themselves more sensitive than usual and prone to reaction, rather than thoughtful and caring response. It's a recipe for disaster!

When I floated my theory to leaders embroiled in conflict, a lot of heads nodded. More importantly, shoulders relaxed and stances softened. Just realizing that the energy behind the conflict is distress rather than aggression or dislike made a lot of difference.

In these times where so many hard and horrible things are happening in our nation, I'm reminded of this pattern. My heart echoes a refrain gifted to me by a wise leader in my own congregation, one who died several years ago: "Sometimes, some people need a little extra grace."

It seems to me that right now, we all need a little extra grace. We need to offer ourselves extra grace, and tend to our own ragged nerves and bruised hearts.

We need to offer each other extra grace: pausing before reacting; offering and receiving apologies liberally.

Most importantly, we need to remember that we’re all in this together. It's a waste of energy to engage in fruitless conflict, and now is a time when every iota of love we have is needed to soothe the many hurts in our broken and beautiful world.

Second Hymn: (on sheet) Just as Long as I Have Breath  

Time for us to sing again.  This one is on your hymn sheet. I invite you to feel the stillness through the words. Please stand or sit as you prefer.

Just as long as I have breath,

I must answer, "Yes," to life;

though with pain I made my way,

still with hope I meet each day.

If they ask what I did well,

tell them I said, "Yes," to life.  

Just as long as vision lasts,

I must answer, "Yes," to truth;

in my dream and in my dark,

always that elusive spark.

If they ask what I did well,

tell them I said, "Yes," to truth. 

Just as long as my heart beats,

I must answer, "Yes," to love;

disappointment pierced me through,

still I kept on loving you.

If they ask what I did best,

tell them I said, "Yes," to love.

Reading: ‘Open to the Blessed Darkness’ by Rev. Linda Hart (adapted) (read by Liz)

In the quiet of these moments, let us take a common breath, unclench, and open to each other and the holy one we call by many names.

We arrive in these moments bearing the whole of our lives: We bring with us the worries and troubles of our days, sometimes overwhelming, loss beyond words, pain and struggle known only in the deepest place in our hearts.

Here in the quiet, joined with each other, may we release our hearts from them, find a moment of peace.

We come to these moments with the freshness of love, the grace of small treasures, with hope and faith, knowing well the promise of the dawning day, even in the longest of nights.

Here in the quiet, may we lift up our hearts in gratitude for the gifts of our lives, pausing in thanksgiving.

It is written that to everything there is a season, and in our hearts we know that it is true.

As the earth spirals through the seasons – from spring into summer and on towards autumn and winter again – let us open to the blessed darkness for the lessons it can teach us, praising renewal that comes as the light returns.

Meditation Words: ‘The Sound of the Trees’ by Robert Frost

We’re going to have a change of pace now – we’re moving into a time of meditation. I’m going to share a very well known and well loved poem by Robert Frost. This will take us into 3 minutes of silence which will end with the sound of a bell. Then we’ll hear some music from Abby and George.  So let’s each do what we need to do to get comfortable. As we always say, the words are an offering, feel free to use this time to meditate in your own way.

I wonder about the trees.

Why do we wish to bear

Forever the noise of these

More than another noise

So close to our dwelling place?

We suffer them by the day

Till we lose all measure of pace,

And fixity in our joys,

And acquire a listening air.

They are that that talks of going

But never gets away;

And that talks no less for knowing,

As it grows wiser and older,

That now it means to stay.

My feet tug at the floor

And my head sways to my shoulder

Sometimes when I watch trees sway,

From the window or the door.

I shall set forth for somewhere,

I shall make the reckless choice

Some day when they are in voice

And tossing so as to scare

The white clouds over them on.

I shall have less to say,

But I shall be gone.

[pause]

And by the river’s edge, the wind whispers— What if? it asks, again and again. The sky does not demand answers, only that you lift your gaze.

Step forward, unafraid. The earth is wide, the path unwritten. Let your heart lean toward the unknown, and trust—there is room for you here.

Silence (3 min) 

Musical Interlude: Arioso by Johann Sebastian Bach (Abby and George)

Reading ‘I Worried’ by Mary Oliver (read by Brian)

These are times of great anxiety and uncertainty we are living through, so Mary Oliver's poem, "I Worried," seems especially appropriate now. She writes:

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers

flow in the right direction, will the earth turn

as it was taught,

and if not how shall I correct it?

Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,

can I do better?

Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows

can do it and I am, well,

hopeless.

Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,

am I going to get rheumatism,

lockjaw, dementia?

Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.

And gave it up. And took my old body

and went out into the morning,

and sang.

Address ‘Openness to Possibility’ by Rev. Michael Allured

Mary Oliver’s poem I Worried has resonated with me all week. I’ve worried about the big and the small matters, usually from about 4.30 to around 6 am.  There’s been self-doubt, agonising over choices and even a little catastrophising about situations not working out and deadlines not being met.

To echo a saying by the transcendentalist Emerson I’ve been thinking of the blunders and absurdities that inevitably creep into human interactions.  All of the challenges and problems that might arise have risen up like ghosts in the small hours to chip away at my energy and peace.

What of Mary Oliver’s conclusion?

Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.

And gave it up. And took my old body

and went out into the morning,

and sang.

We’ll I’m not there yet because Mary’s solution is not easy to embrace in reality.  We can’t turn off our default settings nature and the things we worry about like a tap.  And yet we recognise the wisdom in her words: that there’s no point in worrying. 

Our worries, our fears, our terrors lead us into narrow pathways rather than the expansive green fields of openness to possibility.  

Yet the adventure of life - for it to acquire meaning - is in the being open to those possibilities, spotting them, embracing them as they occur and not worrying unnecessarily about how they will turn out before we are at that point. Even then we can do only what we can and as long as it’s our best that has to be good enough in this topsy-turvy world in which we live.

In August I shall be leading a week-long engagement course at Unitarian Summer School in Hucklow.  The whole retreat is about finding our Unitarian religion and spiritual pathways in life in 21st Century.  One of the five engagement groups I’m co-leading invites us to explore the tools and anchors for the journey. What might the possibilities be of those who meet in August? What shall they be open to?  It depends a lot on grace.

These words of the Unitarian Universalist lesbian and trans minister Rev. Theresa "Tet" Gustilo offer us this answer:

Ultimate Grace, the heart of every matter, in every perfection and imperfection, in all senses and: tenses, in moments of every right and wrong, presenting choices to inquiring hearts. You are in the purpose and the journey of mishaps.

You are in moments of understanding and misunderstanding. We have but to seek and invoke you, and enable the work of your spirit.

Much is required of us in this endeavour: finding our own purpose and meaning requires a diligent and tenacious labour of head and heart.  Life helps us and also hinders us in these endeavours.  Humankind in the East and West has turned to and still does look to the world’s religions in their searching for explanations - the tools and anchors that will help us on the journey of life and the possibilities it presents to us.  

Last month believers following the Christian tradition celebrated Easter.  For Orthodox Christians that’s a time about being open to possibility. Christian believers embrace hope and victory over death in their belief that Jesus' resurrection proves his divine nature and fulfils the promise of eternal life for those who follow him.  It’s the Christian path to being open to the possibility of eternity. The teachings of Christianity present the human possibilities in stark terms: the hope of salvation.

For those of us whose search for hope and the possibilities of human connection is outside that tradition, our understanding looks beyond the brutality of a man put to death on a cross – to the wonders of Nature, to the poetry that can be felt in poetry and touched in our relationships with each other and animals. 

We Unitarians find inspiration and comfort in all these ways: in the arrival of the Spring and Summer after Winter.  We find hope and energy in the waking up of the Earth, the green leaves returning in the blink of an eye to adorn the branches of every tree around us. 

Our hope for life is in its very cycle: each new season brings new possibilities.  Perhaps not the possibilities we want: but possibilities and choices nevertheless. How we use them and learn from them to feed our souls or not: it’s up to us – and what we do for one another.

When the Earth wakes up from the darkness of Winter we wake up. We tap into the energy of the Earth coming back to life and find hope in anticipating the seasons of Spring and the Summer ahead: warm, long days, enjoying them while we can for we know they won’t last.  There’s always another Equinox or Solstice on the way. 

A central idea in Buddhism encourages us to let go of attachments and accept the transient nature of life’s seasons. The lesson? Being open to what the seasons bring to us and embracing the experience, reflecting on the lessons to discover what we can about ourselves and others.  You may write a journal or paint or meditate while sewing a quilt.  Reflection – finding a place of deep stillness for the soul – opens us  to the possibilities before us

One of my spaces for reflection is on the bus.  While I read the Metro newspaper there are opportunities to feel anger, bafflement, agreement, empathy, compassion and hope about life’s possibilities. 

In a recent edition I read 47-year old Caroline’s story. The headline ran ‘I have turned my £900-a-day heroin life around after nine strokes and a two-month coma.’ 

Stealing to fund her addiction she lost her children on her three decade downward spiral.  Now she is heroin free. She’s reconnected with her now grown children, who were adopted when they were two. And although the strokes have caused her  lasting problems the article ends with Caroline’s words of hope:

I wake up now and I don’t feel poorly. I wake up on top of the world. My mum is so proud. I wake up and smell the flowers.

Who would have thought that would have been possible?  Caroline, her mum and the NHS staff made it so. They didn’t give up on Caroline. They saw the possibilities and didn’t let them go.  Harder than it seems and lots of stumbles along the way, no doubt.

Our lives can be encounters with surprising or transformative moments that open us to new understanding and hope. Yet as Linda Hart’s reading reminds us we must learn how to be receptive to what life offers—whether through Nature, relationships or self-reflection.

May this be the work of our hearts and heads, our hands and souls.  Amen.

Third Hymn: 187 (green) We Believe in Human Kindness

Time for our final hymn – number 187 in the green book – Please sing up as best you can!

We believe in human kindness

Large amid the human race,

Turning from indifferent blindness

To compassion's healing grace.

We believe in self-denial

In the greater cause of joy;

In the love that lives through trial,

Dying not, though death destroy.

We believe in love renewing

All that sin has swept away,

Leaven-like its work pursuing

Night by night and day by day.

In its patience, its endurance,

To forebear and to retrieve,

In the large and full assurance

Of its triumph - we believe.

Announcements (to be read by Liz)

Thanks very much for our good friend Michael for leading our service today. Thanks to Ramona for tech-hosting and Charlotte for co-hosting. Thanks to Abby, George and Edwin for our music today. Thanks to Juliet for greeting. For those of you who are here in-person – do stay behind for a chat – we have tea and coffee in the room next door (I’m about to go and put the kettle on!)

Tonight we have the ‘Better World Book Club’ online at 7.30pm. If you are expecting to come and you haven’t already got the link please email Jane. The book choices for the rest of the year have just been announced so have a look at the Friday email to find out what we’ve got up (we’ll have flyers soon).

This Wednesday we will hopefully have our community singing. Do email Jane if you’re thinking of coming and you’re not already on the singing mailing list as she will let us know whether or not that’s going ahead this time around.

On Friday at 7pm we’ve got our ‘Heart and Soul’ online contemplative spiritual gathering – this week we’re considering ‘Solitude’ – email Jane to sign up. 

Next Sunday our minister Jane will be back with a service on ‘Beautiful Questions’. And after next week’s service Hannah will be leading a yoga class.

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.  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. I’ll hand back to Stephanie now for our closing words and music.

Benediction: Blessings Shall Follow Us’

Blessings Shall Follow Us.

As we end our time together today in spiritual community, may we depart this sacred space knowing that blessings shall follow us all the days of our lives:

•             If we live in and return to right relationships,

•             If we extend grace and forgiveness to ourselves and others,

•             If we behold mercy as a spiritual superpower.

•             If we emanate the Greater Love that holds us close.

May our lives radiate the blessings that we have been given,

May kindness and compassion fall gently from us.

May there be peace in the world and may it begin again with us. Amen.

Closing Music: Danse Rustique by William Squire (Abby and George)

Rev. Michael Allured

25th May 2025