Sunday Service, 8 December 2024
Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Julia Alden
Musical Prelude: Call It a Day by Pam Wedgwood (performed by Abby Lorimier and Andrew Robinson)
Opening Words: ‘Here in this Sanctuary’ by Jack Mendelsohn
Here in this sanctuary of ancient dreams,
of wisdom and beauty, we come
to grow, to be healed,
to stretch mind and heart,
to be challenged, and renewed;
to be helped in our own continuing struggles for meaning and for love;
to help build a world with more justice and mercy in it;
to be counted among the hopers and doers.
In the face of cynicism, darkness, brutality around us and within,
we seek to align ourselves with a living community
that would affirm rather than despair,
that would think and act rather than simply adjust and succumb.
Here we invite the spirit of our own humanity
and the healing powers under, around, through and beyond it,
to give us the nerve and grace, the toughness and sensitivity,
to search out the truth that frees, the love that moves,
and the onward-flowing life that makes all things new. (pause)
Words of Welcome and Introduction:
These opening words by Jack Mendelsohn 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, 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’s service is all about virtue – a subject I’ve been fascinated by for some years now – it really captured my imagination when I was studying ethics at Heythrop College over a decade ago. Down the ages philosophers have wrestled with this question of what it means to be good, to live a good life, and one reputable way of answering that question is through the lens of virtue. Our theme this week was suggested by our own Julia Alden – later in the service Julia will share her experience as an educator of working with The Virtues Project which aims to bring about character development and social transformation – and of course we'll be invited to reflect on the place of virtue in our own lives.
Chalice and Advent Candle Lighting: ‘The Chalice is a Symbol’ by Debra Faulk (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)
A chalice lit in our midst is a symbol of our bold and progressive faith tradition.
A faith built on the foundation of freedom, reason and tolerance;
A faith sustained by acts of kindness and justice;
A faith that visions a world flourishing with equality for all her people;
A faith that demands the living out of truth and goodness;
A faith that requires thoughtfulness and mutual care;
A faith of wholeness, authenticity, and liberation.
This tiny flame is the symbol of the spark of all this within each and every one of us. (pause)
And as it is the second Sunday in Advent let us also light our second Advent candle – last week’s was for ‘hope’ – this one is traditionally lit in the name of ‘peace’. (light two candles)
Hymn 196 (purple): ‘We Sing the Faith’
Let’s sing together. Our first hymn is number 196 in your purple hymnbook, ‘We Sing the Faith’. 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. Hymn 196.
We sing the faith, which gives us confidence
for human dwelling in the vast immense
and finding there within the great unknown
that there's a cosmic law and order shown.
We sing the hope, which shows us there are ways
for living through our very darkest days
and glimpse beyond a path which leads us on
to find the place where new days have begun.
We sing the love, which is creation's law,
and in a single whole its parts will draw;
and since parts turn and swerve, collide and move,
forgiveness is the final form of love.
Faith, hope and love: we honour each and three
but there's one virtue which we all agree
stands out among the others far above
and that 'the greatest of the three is love'.
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 Calvin Dame
Let’s take those joys and concerns into an extended time of prayer. This prayer is based on words by Calvin Dame. 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)
May we this day be grateful for the gift of life which is ours,
remembering that today and always that the
precious life we have and hold is to us a mystery.
May we this day be reminded of the responsibilities we carry,
not so that we may be intimidated or overwhelmed,
but so that we may be true to them,
so that we may be faithful in carrying them forward.
May we this day maintain a sense of perspective,
remembering who we are, engaging the tasks at hand,
but understanding our limitations, understanding our own shortcomings,
forgiving ourselves and others when we fall short of perfection.
May we this day be inspired, be filled with new breath,
be filled with new enthusiasm, ready to see fresh possibilities,
new perspectives, unnoticed avenues for fruitful action and resolution.
And may we this day remember those virtues
that bless our lives and bless the lives of others,
the virtues of caring and concern,
the virtues of truthfulness and integrity,
the virtues of charity, good work, and persistence,
remembering that this world may yet be made a little
more fair, more just, more equitable, by our humble efforts,
as we stand up to be counted, when it matters, and live according to our faith. (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 right now – 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.
Reading: ‘Virtues for the Modern Age’ by Alain de Botton (John to read)
This piece, a short extract from a blogpost by popular philosopher Alain de Botton, was published by his School of Life a little over ten years ago now, as a follow up to his book ‘Religion for Atheists’. At that time launched a project to promote ‘Ten Virtues for the Modern Age’ (which he branded as a ‘Manifesto for Atheists’) – the virtues he highlighted at that time were resilience, empathy, patience, sacrifice, politeness, humour, self-awareness, forgiveness, hope, and confidence – an interesting selection! He referred to that piece of work as ‘The Virtues Project’ but he’s not referring to the same project that Julia is going to talk about later in the service (it seems like lots of people have been drawn to this way of thinking about how to live a good life). Here’s what de Botton has to say:
The Virtues Project comes as a response to a growing sense that being virtuous has become a strange and depressing notion, while wickedness and evil bask in a peculiar kind of glamour. My ultimate aim is that the project ignites a vital conversation around moral character to increase public interest in becoming more virtuous and connected as a society.
In the modern world, the idea of trying to be a ‘good person’ conjures up all sorts of negative associations: of piety, solemnity, bloodlessness and sexual renunciation, as if goodness were something one would try to embrace only when other more difficult but more fulfilling avenues had been exhausted.
Throughout history, societies have been interested in fostering virtues, in training us to be more virtuous, but we're one of the first generations to have zero public interest in this. You're allowed to work on your body (going to the gym has very high status as an activity), but announce that you're going to work on being more virtuous, and people will be guaranteed to look at you as if you're insane.
It sounds deeply weird, even creepy, to suggest that one might work at being better or nicer. It shouldn't, and that’s what my Manifesto is all about. There's no scientific answer to being virtuous, but the key thing is to have some kind of list on which to flex our ethical muscles. It reminds us that we all need to work at being good, just as we work at anything else that really matters.
Hymn (on sheet): ‘O the Beauty in a Life’
Thanks John. Our next hymn is a slightly unusual one – we used to sing it quite a lot – but we haven’t done in years so I doubt many of you will remember it. But I really love it! And I hope we can bring it back into our repertoire. It’s on the hymn sheet in your order of service, if you’re in the room, ‘O The Beauty in a Life’, and the words are perfect for our theme today. It’s based on a Filipino folk tune and I always enjoy gently bobbing along to the unusual rhythm. Let’s hear it played through in full before we have a go at singing it and let’s give it our best shot.
O, the beauty in a life that illumines honour anew,
That models wise and gracious ways to every seeker;
That every day shall serve in joy and do the right.
O, praise the life whose beauty shows a justice true.
Let not service of the good be confined to great saints alone,
But every hour be part of all our daily living.
Set not the hope of wisdom’s grace beyond our ken;
How wide the path, how close the goal, which love has shown.
O, the beauty of a life that illumines care of the soul,
That knows a love that is for self as well as others,
That every day embodies praise for every good,
This is the faith to which we turn, our God and goal.
Mini-Reflection: ‘Virtue and the Philosophers’ by Jane Blackall
I don’t know about you – but when I think about life and how I want to go about living it – my basic (really basic) starting point is that I want to be a good person and I want to live a good life. I know that might sound ridiculously basic but for all the sophisticated philosophising I might have tried to do over the years, for all that this basic intention comes up against the world’s troubles and complexities, that’s a significant part of the background music of my brain, a part that has always had some sort of influence on my life choices: I want to be good and do good. And I’m pretty confident that I’m not alone in this – it’s part of why you show up at church, right?
Like I said at the start of the service, philosophers have spent centuries wrestling with this question of what it means to be good, to do good, to live a good life, and one approach to answering the question is by considering the path of virtue. As we heard in the piece by Alain de Botton that John just read, these days it might seem a bit old-fashioned (at best) to speak of virtue, or make efforts to improve our own character, even the character of our whole society. But it seems to me that this is something that we would do well to embrace in the 21st century.
It’s generally thought that consideration of virtue started with the Ancient Greeks – Plato and Aristotle – I’d say that Aristotle especially is perhaps regarded as the Godfather of virtue ethics. He wrote of the telos of life – life’s ultimate end, the purpose or point of it all – as eudaimonia. I have seen this term translated in various ways: ‘living in a way that is well-favoured by God’ is one way to put it, if you’re God-minded. More often it’s understood as ‘flourishing’ – a deep and holistic kind of happiness – living a good and meaningful life – that’s the point of existence according to Aristotle (broadly speaking). I’d suggest we might even embellish the idea further and connect it to such notions as self-realisation, fulfilling our potential, and contributing to the common good. It is not about transient pleasure but about a life that is good when considered at as a whole. And cultivation of the virtues is a significant part of the path to eudaimonia.
Thomas Aquinas, the Dominican theologian and Catholic Saint, picked up the idea of virtue in medieval times. He defined virtue as a habit or disposition ‘by which we live righteously, of which no one can make bad use, which God works in us, without us.’ Aquinas was especially associated with the four Cardinal Virtues – justice, fortitude, temperance and prudence – which are depicted on the front of your order of service. This idea of there being four cardinal virtues had been around since Plato’s time but Aquinas made more of it. For Aquinas these four Cardinal Virtues are the principal moral virtues which will help us rise to the challenge of living a good and meaningful human life. Justice is the disposition that gives us concern for others and the common good. Fortitude (also known as courage) is the disposition that enables us to endure suffering, persist in hard work, and face our fears, for the sake of what is ultimately worthwhile. Temperance is the disposition of moderation and self-control (in a modern context you might think of it in relation to what we consume or give our time and attention to). Prudence is the quality that brings them all together – practical wisdom – knowing how to make good decisions about our actions and the overall direction our life is headed in. Aquinas also highlighted the three Theological Virtues that are probably very familiar to most of us – faith, hope and love – which we sang about in our opening hymn this morning. And the story of virtue ethics doesn’t end in the medieval period of course – there’s been a revival of interest among contemporary philosophers since Elizabeth Anscombe got the ball rolling again in the 1950s.
A key feature that distinguishes virtue ethics from some other ethical frameworks is that it is focuses on the person rather than the action. The central question is not ‘what should I do?’ – it’s not about making moral calculations of utility or duty when faced with a particular dilemma – but ‘what kind of person should I be?’ – this is a life-long project of personal moral development. By becoming a virtuous person, and developing good habits and dispositions, the idea is that in any given situation the next right action will just come to you as second nature. Because of the person you are you will know intuitively what needs to be done. This is not to suggest that it comes easily though – virtue ethics acknowledges the complexity of the moral life – sometimes different virtues will seem to conflict with each other and point in different directions – and part of our task is to integrate the different virtues, using practical wisdom, as we live them out.
So how do we go about becoming more virtuous? Some virtues may come naturally to each of us but others may be more of a stretch. Well, according to the philosophers, one way to think about cultivating virtue is to compare it with acquiring a practical skill or art – like learning to play the piano, for example – in general virtue is something we learn by doing. It takes conscious awareness – as the Buddha apparently once said: ‘as we think, so we become’ – and it takes a great deal of practice and persistence too. To start with it might feel as if we’re just going through the motions, but by acting ‘as if’ we are virtuous, we can get ourselves into a virtuous circle and reinforce our good intentions. Sometimes you might just have to ‘fake it till you make it’. Virtue is not just a habit of behaviour though – it needs to take root in us, to shape our character – so that in time we think, feel, desire and perceive virtuously, and can reliably discern what is good and virtuous. If we want to be a good person, and we want to live a good life, focusing on virtue is a good place to start.
I’m going to hand over to Julia now so that we can focus in on a particular virtue for meditation.
Meditation: Reflecting on a Virtue (please return cards to Julia after the service) (Julia to lead)
We’re moving into a time of meditation now, and we’re going to do something slightly different to take us into this time of meditation, though as we always say this is an invitation and not an obligation and you don’t have to join in with this if you’d rather not.
The invitation is for each of us to randomly pick a virtue card from the Virtues Project™ (which you will learn more about later in the service). We are using the Virtues Reflection Cards… this is my pack, which I have used for almost ten years. And if you’re joining via Zoom you can join in via the virtues project website (virtuesproject.com) – the link was in your Friday email and Charlotte will also put it in the chat for you now – if you scroll down the front page to ‘What are Virtues?’ there’s an orange button which says ‘do a virtues card pick’ and that will pop up with a randomly generated virtue for you.
The Virtues Project recognizes that there are 100 virtues. A Virtue Pick can be an essential practice to remember our inherent nobility and to be able to understand ourselves and one another. It asks us to reflect on any aspect of our life and of the world, and it can guide us at any moment we feel the need.
I will ask you to pick one virtue card from the pack as Jane and I come around. We can use these cards in many reflective ways, but for today, I’d like you to reflect on how this virtue might reflect on your life right now… or what this virtue suggests for you. So, once you have your card, we will give you a few minutes of quiet, reflective time for thought. Please don’t force this or worry if nothing comes to mind. That is OK, too. One never knows… the connection might come later or not at all. Once everybody has got a card, we will hold three minutes of silence, which will end with a chime from our bell.
Period of Silence and Stillness (~3 minutes) – end with a bell
Interlude: Falling by Pam Wedgwood (performed by Abby Lorimier and Andrew Robinson)
Reflection: ‘The Virtues Project’ by Julia Alden
Over the last few years, Jane and I have had some conversations about virtues. Primarily, our discussions have revolved around my involvement in the Virtues Project, and I will tell you more about that in a minute. My first introduction to the practice of virtues was in the 90s when I lived and worked in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and participated in an Interfaith group. Many of the members just happened to be of the Baha’i faith, and there, I learned that the virtues have quite a presence in the Baha’i religion. The Baha’i faith emphasizes cultivating virtues as central to spiritual and personal development. I could say that there, without a ‘church’ or ‘formal place of worship,’ the virtues became a way for me to practice my spirituality. They felt akin to the principles of the Unitarian church. I found the virtues engaging and began thinking of how I might use them in my everyday life as a spiritual marker or a way to personal transformation. Our gatherings also considered the virtues essential to establishing a more just and unified world. The virtues of justice, kindness, patience, and humility, among others, were discussed and linked to the practices of our daily lives. I related to the distinction between virtues, rooted in universal philosophical traditions (as Jane has mentioned), and values, which are often influenced by more practical, subjective factors.
A decade later, while living and working in Singapore, I met another international educator who used virtues in her school. Here, the virtues were used to promote character development, create positive environments, and improve social-emotional learning with students. This was my formal introduction to The Virtues Project™. The Virtues Project™ was founded in 1991 by then-psychologist Linda Kavelin-Popov, her brother Dan, and her husband John. It was established to address the growing challenges of violence, moral decline, and a lack of ethical awareness in individuals and communities. Essentially, it was to empower individuals by recognizing their strengths or virtues, build stronger families, and transform communities. In Kavelin-Popov’s words, virtues are about. “Having a sense of meaning and purpose, living with integrity, according to a person’s highest beliefs and values, mastery of the virtues of our character and developing a sense of reverence for life and all people.”
“The Virtues Project ™is not about the practices or beliefs of any religion. It is sourced in the teachings about virtues found in the sacred traditions of all cultures. Its purpose is to support all people, both religious and those who are not, to awaken the virtues of their character.” It defines spirituality as “our connection to principles and a sense of higher purpose that inspire us to live meaningful lives.” (from The Virtues Project).
Kavelin’s work and The Virtues Project™ have become known internationally and have been implemented in schools, organizations, and businesses worldwide. It is still an internationally recognized organization that contributes to the building of peace and reconciliation today. The United Nations has recognized the project, and Kavelin-Popov has made it her life’s work. I went forward with the project when I retired and returned to London. I tried to implement the work in schools, but it has not taken off here in the UK for different reasons. It is, however, flourishing in schools in North and South America, Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia. I have been able, nevertheless, to be a part of a sub-project of the Virtues Project™ by working with a team over the last few years to develop a system for recognizing schools using the Virtues Project™. Our work is to create a certification process, identifying schools worldwide that embed the virtues into the school curriculum. We then want to begin collecting data to study how the virtues impact the well-being of students and school communities.
As an educator, most of my work with The Virtues Project™ focuses on schools. I have many stories of how virtues are used in schools to build character and promote positive relationships. One school in New Zealand uses puppets to role-play with young students to teach virtues—the Ignite Academy in Alberta. Canada has created a library of books that support the teaching of virtues in authentic contexts. One early learning centre in Finland has used The Virtues Project™ in its philosophy and mission. Many schools report improved behaviour, such as reducing bullying using the virtues. A few years back, I used the virtues in my work of building social-emotional skills with children in a school in Lambeth. I witnessed how using the virtues in social-emotional learning improved relationships and built needed resilience and character development in those children who most needed it.
The Virtues Project™ is quite broad and far-reaching. It would take some time to portray the entire breadth of the project; however, five significant components or strategies guide the project's work. In using the Virtues Project™, we, first and foremost, speak the language of virtues. How we talk to one another and our words have tremendous power to discourage or inspire. Life gives us daily challenges to help cultivate our character. These are the teachable moments. To be safe in our relationships, we need to use the strategy of setting clear boundaries. “Personal boundaries help us build healthy relationships and protect our time, energy, and health.” Giving respect for each person’s dignity, taking care of ourselves, and ensuring that we find beauty and reverence in life is called honouring the spirit in the Virtues Project™. When honouring the spirit, we ask ourselves, what brings me joy? And lastly, companioning is our capacity to listen and be present with others. When we are deeply present and listen with compassion, we empower others to reflect on their virtues.
I’m often asked if virtues still matter and are appropriate for our schools and the modern world. I can’t think of anything more imperative for young children and, really, everyone in today’s world. In the Virtues Project™, we say that social transformation starts with young people! Fostering strength, building healthy relationships, providing ethical guidance, and purposeful living are more important today than ever. Using virtues with young people has the hope of power to reverse a culture of violence and hate. Maybe for all of us.
However, we do not need to use the entire project to benefit personally. We can all use the virtues as a guide in our daily lives. I offer that virtues are essential for all of us and are still present and sought after in how we live and in the principles that guide us as individuals and communities. You might remember that at the start of the year, all members of Kensington Unitarians were invited to send Jane our reflections about the values that we share in this community (and how we put those values into action). The idea was that we would collectively generate a description of what we care about and what we aim to do and be together. Jane pulled together all these statements into something that was read out at the Induction service to mark the start of the ministry back in January (and you can find a selection of them on the website). Looking at these principles and practices, which affirm what we strive to be and what we consider to be meaningful and purposeful, I found that each one highlights a virtue: kindness, generosity, wisdom, honesty, creativity, equality, and justice, to name a few. One statement, for example, reads, ‘We believe everybody has wisdom and insight to share, so we make creative contributions according to their talents.’ Virtues are alive and well in our principles and practices at Kensington Unitarians.
I appreciate this concept of virtues being used to strive for how we want to be…that is aspirational. Personal transformations. Isn’t that what we are striving for? I wanted to be sure today that I was not proselytizing. I wondered if my presentation on the virtues could be considered arrogant, portraying an exaggerated sense of my importance or the arrival at a certain virtuous place in my life. That is not my intention…I am a huge work-in-progress. I’m striving, as we all are. Virtues are tools that help me on this journey to a better life, to think, act, and do well, and to employ a practical way to reflect on problems and moral issues. So, I chose a virtues card to reflect on this situation. It was Acceptance.
Acceptance is embracing life on its own terms. We are open to what is, rather than wishing for something different. We face the truth in all circumstances with honesty and courage. Acceptance helps us to bend without breaking in the winds of tests, to gather the lessons, and to step forward with new wisdom and awareness. We affirm others and ourselves for the qualities we do have and avoid judgement or criticism for what we don’t have. Accepting allows me to give what I have to the world.
Virtues are the essence of who we are. They are attributes of the human spirit and the content of our character. The Baha’i faith calls them the ‘gems we are all born with and have within.’ Our task is to cultivate them to their fullest.
Hymn 84 (purple): ‘Justice for Persons’
Thanks Julia. Let’s sing again. Our final hymn today is number 84 in your purple books, ‘Justice for Persons’. We don’t sing it that often so Andrew will play it through but I think it’s an easy tune.
Justice for persons and for different nations,
respect the diverse species in our care,
community of life on earth sustaining,
love for this planet which we all must share.
Compassion is the strength of love and sympathy
letting us share another being’s pain;
creature or human, loving friend or stranger,
love for each other is the whole world’s gain.
Wisdom is insight clear, precise and thoughtful,
searching for truth and human law refined;
guidance from past, made ready for the future
by the best reasoning of the human mind.
Integrity, with honour and uprightness:
these are the qualities which form and make
women and men, the people for tomorrow,
those who serve others for another’s sake.
Justice, compassion, wisdom and integrity,
these are the virtues which our poor world needs.
They’ll flower tomorrow, fruit in glorious splendour,
if we today go out and plant the seeds.
Announcements:
Many thanks to Julia for suggesting this theme and giving our reflection today. And don’t forget to give your virtues cards back to Julia at the end of the service! Thanks to Ramona for tech-hosting. Thanks to Charlotte for co-hosting. Thanks to John for reading. Thanks to Abby, Andrew, and Benjie for supporting our singing. Thanks to John for greeting and Pat and Anna for making coffee. For those of you who are here in-person – do stay for a cuppa and some cake (it’s a chocolate traybake) – served in the hall next door.
We’ve got various activities coming up in the week ahead. Tonight and Friday at 7pm we’ve got our regular ‘Heart and Soul’ online contemplative spiritual gathering – it is a great way to get to know others on a deeper level – this week’s theme is ‘Adventure’. Sign up with me if you want to get the Zoom link for that or if you just want to know more about it.
All being well we’ll have Community Singing here on Wednesday night – as ever there’s a bit of uncertainty around this – make sure you’re on my list and I’ll let you know of last-minute changes. We had a great time and presuming this goes ahead it’ll be the last one for a while as our singing leader is definitely taking January off so do come along and enjoy a great fun singalong.
Our next ‘Better World Book Club’ is on ‘Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise’ by Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz and that’ll be on Zoom on Sunday 29th December. We still have a few copies of that book I think if you’d like to borrow one and come along.
I particularly want to draw your attention to the New Year’s Mini-Retreat – I have got plenty of sign-ups for the online version on New Year’s Day – but the in-person version on Sunday 29th December is in doubt as I only have one or two people signed up for that so far. So if you think you are going to want to come to the in-person version tell me ASAP otherwise we’ll call it off.
Similarly I have not had many people let me know they’re going to be here for the festive tea dance on the 22nd – I would really appreciate more people hanging around for that – bring your friends – it’s a lovely event. Please let me know if you’re planning to come along to support that.
Next week will be our carol service and lunch with our quartet of singers and favourite festive music – don’t forget to let Patricia know if you’re coming to lunch – and what you’ll bring along. And we’ll have our usual candlelit Christmas Eve service which is at 5pm – there is a misprint in the newsletter – don’t be misled – it’s at the usual time of 5pm. Carolyn is organising a dinner out after the service on Christmas Eve and I think the plan is Pizza Express – have a word with Carolyn.
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.
I think that’s everything. Just time for our closing words and closing music now.
Benediction: based on words by Cynthia Landrum
We leave this gathered community,
But we don’t leave our connection,
Our concerns, our care for each other.
Our service to each other, to the world,
and to the promptings of our faith, continues.
So until we are together again,
Be strong, be well, be true, be loving,
and nurture Goodness wherever you go. Amen..
Closing Music: Survivor by Pam Wedgwood (performed by Abby Lorimier and Andrew Robinson)
Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Julia Alden
Sunday 8th December 2024