Lesson: Romans 15: 4-13
Message: Harmony
Friends,
We have a couple of really exciting and wonderful things going on this Sunday that I hope you’ll join us in celebrating! First, during worship we’ll be joining together to bless the many prayer shawls that have been knitted this past year! Do you know we have a Prayer Shawl Ministry? This is like a prayer ministry but the participants knit their prayers into beautiful shawls. There are about a dozen women (not restricted to women, just all women knitters currently!) who come together on Zoom with their projects and shawls and enjoy one another’s company while they knit. This Sunday we will decorate the chancel and table with these finished and unfinished shawls and, together, bless them with our love and grace. Then, when a friend or UPA member finds themselves needing our prayers we deliver a shawl, wrap this friend in our love, and know that this love will be with them as long as they have the shawl. Please plan to join us Sunday to join in this blessing!
This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent when we will be considering God’s blessing of Love and how we might know this love unequivocally in all people. Inclusion is something that is especially important to our mission here at UPA. At this time of year, however, we can imagine it in the light of a new world of justice and peace. But inclusion doesn’t mean uniformity. If it were so, how could we even begin to know the infinite facets of the Divine? I see inclusion as a sort of harmony – various and diverse voices and sounds coming together as one grand symphony. Join us on Sunday to wander deeper into this metaphor of inclusive love.
See you then!
Peace,
Cheryl
Music:
Prelude: “Dawn birdsongs – American robin, hermit thrush, and veery”
Anthem: “O Morning Star, O Radiant Sun” 17th c. German carol
Meditation: “Prelude in C” Goerge F. Kaufmann
Postlude: “Et in terra pax – And on earth peace” François Couperin
Special Music: “Light Of The World” Lauren Daigle Cassie Connor