Chalice Lighting Words for San Gabriel
So excited to be preaching at San Gabriel UU Fellowship this weekend (8/27/23) at 10:30am. Hope to see you there or you can catch it online at their YouTube channel.
Originally, I was gonna preach on a Medium article I wrote last month called Icebergs, Oceans, and Aging into Wise Elderhood. But the spirit called and I’m writing a new sermon instead — current working title A Sermon in Five Stories. It still relates to elderhood, but with a very different vibe than the article… Full sermon text will post here (on Medium) late Saturday.
As a quick preview, here is the chalice lighting that I wrote for Sunday — for those unfamiliar with Unitarian Universalism, whose symbol is the chalice (think oil lamp not drinking glass), chalice lighting words are like an opening prayer that begin a worship service. And for those uncomfortable with the word worship — its original meaning is to hold up that which is worthy.
When what we need is each other,
let this flame be at the center of our gathering,
let its light and warmth bless our fellowship.
When what we need is connection to our own spirit,
let this flame be a focus for our meditation,
let its dance beckon us into deep quiet spaces.
When what we need is movement,
let us hold our chalice aloft,
so that we can put one foot in front of the other,
finding our confidence in its steady glow.
Amen
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