Sunday Service, 11 August 2024
Led by Rev. Sarah Tinker
Musical Prelude: ‘Summertime’ by George Gershwin (performed by Andrew Robinson)
Words of Welcome and Chalice Lighting: ‘Summertime and the Living is Easy’
Summertime and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high,
your momma’s rich and your daddy’s good lookin’, so hush little baby don’t you cry.
Our Sunday gathering on this warm sunny August day began with the famous tune ‘Summertime’ from George Gershwin’s opera ‘Porgy & Bess’. Those oft sung lyrics were written by poet and novelist DuBose Heyward. Our service theme today explores ways to cope when life isn’t so easy and my hope is that each of us will find something in our message that’s helpful in the living of our own lives. It’s good to have you with us today, both those of you joining us online and those of you gathered here in Essex Church, where Kensington Unitarians have their spiritual home. And greetings also go out to any of you watching this service on video or listening to it as a podcast sometime in the future – I hope life is treating you ok and do get in touch by email sometime if you’d like to. If we’ve not met before I’m Sarah Tinker and as a retired minister I get the luxury of choosing where to be on a Sunday morning – and it’s always a treat to come back to my old home congregation here in Notting Hill.
So let’s ready ourselves for this time and this place, when we’ve chosen to step out of our everyday ways of being to attend to … what might we say? Matters of the spirit? We might sense that there is something greater than our single identity of self, something that connects us all, not simply with one another but also with all that is, one joint endeavour of life itself on our remarkable planet earth. We can take a moment to breathe in that reality as I light our chalice flame. (light chalice)
This symbol represents Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist communities the world over, its one flame reminding us that we are one people living one life on our one planet home. May we learn to live in peace. May we learn to live sustainably. May we learn to live in love, with one another and with life itself. This flame welcomes each of you this day.
Hymn 130 (purple): ‘Ours is a Town for Everyone’
We get to sing our first hymn now, which is number 130 in this purple hymnbook, and the words will also appear on our screens. It’s sung to a traditional English melody arranged by Vaughan Williams and the words were written by Cliff Reed, who ministered with Ipswich Unitarians for many years and still lives in the town. He’s someone who quietly did a lot to bring different groups together and he wrote this particular hymn as a reminder to us all that we can make a difference in the ways we live alongside one another. Let’s sing ‘ours is a town for everyone’ though do feel free to simply listen if singing is not your thing. (Read first verse)
Ours is a town for everyone
who wants to play their part
in making it a better place
to practise living’s art.
Ours is a town where every faith,
all creeds of hope and peace,
can worship freely, yet recall
we are one human race.
Ours is a town where we must care
for those whose lives are hard,
for whom bright mornings turn to tears
and all once fair seems marred.
Ours is a town where, side by side
in friendship and goodwill,
we’ll build a place where all can be
respected and fulfilled.
So let us celebrate our town
and pledge ourselves to be
the ones who make it beautiful,
safe, prosperous and free.
Candles of Joy and Concern:
Our simple ritual of candles of joy and concern, is an opportunity to share something that is in our heart with the community. We’ll hear from people in the building first, and take all of those in one go, and then I’ll call on the people on Zoom to come forward.
So I invite some of you here in person to come and tell us briefly who or what your lit candle is for. If you’d rather have the microphone brought to you, give me a wave and I’ll bring it over. 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’ll light one more candle, as we often do, to represent all those joys and concerns that we hold in our hearts this day, that its one light may remind us of our connections, one with another, none of us live our lives alone. (light candle)
Time of Prayer & Reflection: for hot tempers and cooling breezes
And so as we join now in a time of prayer and reflection, remembering the issues that people have mentioned during our candles of joy and concern, remembering the delight and despair that many of us carry in our hearts, I call on the divine spirit of life and of love to bless the communities of the world that they might be places where people can flourish and grow, where people feel secure and so be able to reach out to one another. Let us pray for all human organisations, for their members and their leaders that they might use their powers wisely and always for the greatest good.
Let us pray for all places in our world where there is discord, where rage and hot tempers rule the day. We think of places in our own society that have witnessed violence in the last ten days. May peace and good sense prevail. We think of our world’s troubled lands where injustice and violence must seem never-ending. May the spirit of peace and good sense find its way to all those responsible. When we find ourselves blaming others let us hold a humbling awareness of their unique life circumstances and life paths.
May that awareness awaken our compassion for ourselves and for all beings, all doing what we can to survive, to prosper, seeking pleasure and peace. Yet knowing that pain and disturbance are all part of the mix of life. May we help one another to lean into the pain and disturbance of life, the aspects we fear or disapprove of; let’s be people who do not back away from our own troubles or the troubles of others. Let’s learn to accept that which is and then do what we can to make life better for all beings, to improve social conditions, to expand education, to widen our appreciation of all those who are different from us.
And in the stillness, as we hold that awareness of the oneness of all existence I invite you to direct your care and concern to those you know to be in need this day …. And may our love reach out as a gentle, cooling and refreshing breeze and make a difference in our world, this day and all days, amen.
In-Person Reading: ‘Even this is enough’ by Vanessa Southern (brackets show where original wording has been altered)
This reading speaks to that part of us that thinks we must ‘do more’. Its message is that we are enough and that sometimes what we have to do is rest and simply be, that we cannot be forever striving for improvement in this world, and in ourselves. ‘Even this is enough.’ I wonder if this message is a helpful one for you at the moment.
So much undone.
So much to do.
So much to heal
in us and the world.
So much to acquire:
a meal
a healthy body—
a fit one—
a lover
a job
a better job
proof we have and are enough
just around the corner of now.
And up against it the reality of all that falls short and the limits of today.
We honor the limits:
If your body won’t do what it used to, for right now let it be enough.
If your mind won’t stop racing or can’t think of the word, let it be enough.
If you are here utterly alone and in despair, be all that here with us.
If today you cannot sing because your throat hurts or you don’t have the heart for music, be silent.
When the offering plate goes around if you don’t have money to give or the heart to give, let it pass.
The world won’t stop spinning on her axis if you don’t rise to all occasions today.
Love won’t cease to flow in your direction,
your heart won’t stop beating,
all hope won’t be lost.
(We are all) part of the plan for this world’s salvation,
of that I have no doubt.
The world needs its oceans of people striving to be good
to carry us to the shores of hope and wash fear from the beach heads,
and cleanse all wounds so they can heal.
But oceans are big and I am sure there are parts that don’t feel up to the task of the whole some days.
Rest, if you must, then, like the swimmer lying on her back who floats,
or the hawk carried on cushions of air.
Rest in (these seats) made to hold weary lives in space carved out for the doing of nothing much but being.
Perhaps then you will feel in your bones,
in your weary heart,
the aching, healing sense that
this is enough—
even this.
That we are enough. You are enough. Enough.
For these and all the meditations of our hearts unspoken in this hour, I say, (‘so may it be.’)
Hymn 128 (purple): ‘Our World is One World’
Our next hymn today is a favourite – with its message that we are all in this together. It’s number 128 in the purple book, it’s first line is ‘our world is one world’ and if you have a look at the words of the last verse, they’re particularly inspiring I think: ‘our world is one world, just like a ship that bears us all – where fear and greed make many holes, but where our hearts can hear a different call. Do feel free to stand, stay seated, sing or simply enjoy listening – ‘our world is one world’.
Our world is one world:
what touches one affects us all —
the seas that wash us round about,
the clouds that cover us, the rains that fall.
Our world is one world:
the thoughts we think affect us all —
the way we build our attitudes,
with love or hate, we make a bridge or wall.
Our world is one world:
its ways of wealth affect us all —
the way we spend, the way we share,
who are the rich or poor, who stand or fall?
Our world is one world,
just like a ship that bears us all —
where fear and greed make many holes,
but where our hearts can hear a different call.
Reading and Reflection: ‘You Can’t Always Make Lemonade’ by Caroline Blair
Some years ago now we collected together some statements of belief from members and friends of Kensington Unitarians and had them printed in this booklet ‘Kindred Pilgrim Souls’. Copies are available later at a very reasonable price! I’m going to read some extracts from one of my favourites written by our much loved Carline Blair. This piece stayed with me because early on in it Caroline, with her characteristic humour, tackles an old saying that has always annoyed me – If life sends you lemons, make lemonade. I wonder if her take on this resonates with you.
Caroline Blair: I Believe (extracts)
“I believe that bad things happen to good people. All we can do is identify the things we can influence, and make the best decisions we can, and come to terms with the things that we can’t. None of this is easy, and it is an on-going and forever incomplete process.
I believe that if we get lemons, we won’t always be able to make lemonade. Sometimes people get too many lemons at once and their strength gives out. We need to look out for people who are drowning under lemons and be ready to offer a hand with the lemonade making. They may not be easy to spot, or easy to help, or at all grateful.
I believe that there is an almost bottomless reservoir of kindness and goodwill among humans; but that it is easily disrupted. We are damaged by our own painful experiences, angry, unwilling to risk further pain, idle, insecure, self-satisfied and unimaginative. It is a tribute to basic human decency that so much kindness and tolerance survives the journey.
I believe that love is the answer, as long as it is realistic, resilient, genuine and open-ended. The ‘love’ that says ‘charity begins at home’ is nothing more than mean-spiritedness in disguise, as it invariably means ‘and ends there’. We have to try and find a way of loving – valuing – the less loveable; and we will never do that if we circle the wagons against anyone a bit different from ourselves.”
Strong and loving words from Caroline. Our service today is called ‘just coping’ and I don’t know about you but in my life I’ve had a fair few times of just coping and a fair few times of not coping, of going under and of needing other people’s support to keep in any way afloat. I know that I live one of the more privileged lives here on planet earth and still at times it’s a struggle isn’t it, for many of us. What I’ve learnt over the years is the value of building up support networks of various kinds – some of us have friends, neighbours, family that are supportive and those relationships need working on, just like any others. Some of us have really useful relationships with professionals – health visitors, GPs, social workers, teachers – and again these relationships need attention particularly when public services are being squeezed of funding. Our support networks may involve people both near and far, connected via phone or online. Over the years I’ve learnt the importance but also the challenge of finding some kind of balance over time, between giving and receiving, in every relationship and in each life overall. It can’t be equal because life is not equal and we are all different in our needs and abilities. But each of us does well to look to an overall balancing in ourselves, rather than getting stuck in a pattern of being just the giver or just the receiver. And I’ve learnt that we all need practice in articulating our needs to others, and that isn’t always easy, especially when we’re finding life tough. But saying how it is for us can make our relationships deeper, more real, more authentic – and I think that makes our world a better place to be.
Meditation:
Tricia Hersey writes in her book Rest is Resistance that: ‘You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect’.
I thought we could take those possibilities into our time of meditation now and see what is calling to us most in this time, what are we being called towards – which might of course be something basic and vital like resting or just coping or asking for help.
So the invitation is to enter a time of shared stillness together, finding a comfy position for us wherever we are, maybe straighten ourselves a bit so our breathing is easier, perhaps roll those shoulders back and down and give them a wiggle for they can hold so much tension unawares, the weight of our responsibilities can be eased for a while. We can soften our gaze or close our eyes, whatever works well for us, allowing that gentle rhythm of our breathing to settle and comfort us, feeling gravity anchoring us to our planet earth home beneath our feet, connecting us with our source, here and now, aware of life going on around us yet able to still ourselves for this moment, turning inwards, awareness taking us deeper, bringing us peace, following the breath into silence, which will end in a few minutes with a chime from our bell followed by piano music.
Period of Silence and Stillness (~3 minutes) – end with a bell
Interlude: from ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ & ‘Summertime’ by George Gershwin (played by Andrew Robinson)
In-Person Reflection: ‘Just Coping? Those Summertime Blues’ by Rev. Sarah Tinker
I met up with a dear friend recently, parent of a young child who’s just completed their first year at school. I asked her how the summer holidays were going and she smiled ruefully and said ‘well we’re coping, just coping’. I knew a bit of the backstory to that response. She was coping with childcare, alongside a fulltime job. Their inner city flat is small and hot. It’s a bit of a walk to the local park and playground. Etc etc. The idea of ‘summer holiday’ doesn’t have much meaning for people who can’t afford to get away. And even though I don’t have children to look after I notice in the summer that I miss activities like choir and exercise classes that take a summer break. This summer month can be a disruption of the routines that hold our lives together. If I asked each of you how the summer’s going, I wonder how you’d answer. I reckon we’d have quite a range of responses just amongst us – from joy-filled to quite fed up, with lots in between those two ends of a spectrum.
Some of you know I lived here at the church for 15 years when I was working as minister for this congregation. People still ask me if I miss living here in central London and even though I was really happy living here, I was ready for a change. But every summer I’m reminded of something that I do miss – and that’s the luxury of walking across Kensington Gardens on a summer’s evening to attend the Proms at the Albert Hall. And walking home again with fragments of glorious music running through my mind. Now I get to listen to them on the BBC radio and TV rather than in person. And if you look at BBC iplayer you’ll find some gems to catch up on, including a great evening of American music which included George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. And that prom was followed by a whole programme about Gershwin’s song Summertime that we’ve heard our pianist Andrew Robinson play today. A few details really stood out for me – and helped me write this service. Summertime is apparently the most covered song – there are some 25,000 different versions of this song recorded. And these of course vary tremendously in their sound and message. It’s a song that can sound like the child’s lullaby it was written to be. It has been used as a song of protest by the civil rights movement. It’s a love song and yet also can be sung in a way that expresses love’s raw pain, the blues. Its lyrics convey calm and ease, yet by writing the melody in a minor key Gershwin expanded its effect on our emotions. It has a bitter sweet, almost mournful quality to it. We know when we listen to it that summertime is not always easy, and that many of us struggle to stretch our proverbial wings and reach for the sky.
And in out title today we reference another classic gem of American music – Eddie Cochran’s greatest hit from way back in 1958 ‘Summertime Blues’, with its powerful expression of young people’s disaffection – you might know that refrain – ‘sometimes I wonder what I’m a gonna do, cos there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues’. Here in England we’ve been shocked by recent violence on our streets and I expect it will take quite a while for its complex origins to be understood. The healing for communities who have been targeted may take even longer. None of us are going to be comfortable in a society in which some people are scared to leave their homes, afraid of being targeted because of their skin colour or religious beliefs. When something scary and dramatic happens we may feel a need to ‘do something now’. But the real work of community building and re-building has to be an on-going commitment from all of us. And what that means in practice is different for each of us, depending on our capacity. For many of us I reckon an important task is to be a cooling breeze rather than fanning the flames of tension and distress. Let’s help one another and ourselves to stay calm and steady. And let’s keep doing what we already do – those small acts of community building – of kindness to strangers, of speaking well of others, of envisaging our country as a multi-cultural marvel – far from perfect, yet with such potential for bringing people together for the greater good of all. Sometimes such small acts have to be ‘enough’ as that reading we heard earlier on reminded us.
On the front of today’s order of service I’ve used a quote from Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron. She writes in her book called ‘When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times’ that ‘When things fall apart and we can’t get the pieces back together, when we lose something dear to us, when they whole thing is just not working and we don’t know what to do, this is the time when the natural warmth of tenderness, the warmth of empathy and kindness, are just waiting to be uncovered, just waiting to be embraced. This is our chance to come out of our self-protecting bubble and to realize that we are never alone.’
That speaks to me, that reminder that we are never alone – especially perhaps when alone is all we can feel. So whether it’s us that feel at the moment that we’re on our own and that we’re only just coping, or someone else we know – let’s find our wellsprings of tenderness, of empathy and kindness. Let’s realise once again the power of reaching out to others. There is support for us when we are in need. And we can find 101 ways to support others – even if it is simply smiling at someone on a bus or making the effort to say something gentle to a stranger – 101 ways to ease those summertime blues and to rebuild the kind of community we’ll feel proud to be part of. Amen
Song (on sheet): ‘Lean on Me’
Our closing song today was written and sung by Bill Withers back in the early 70s – it’s become a classic expression of our human ability to support one another. You’ll find the words on today’s songsheet or on your screens and lets sing it for everyone, for a world where everyone might have someone to lean on when the going gets tough. Lean on me. And let’s be guided by our musicians today on how this song swings along and ends.
Some-times in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on
Please, swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won’t let show
Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on
If there is a load
You have to bear that you can’t carry
I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load
If you just call me
Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you’d understand
We all need somebody to lean on.
You just call on me, sister, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on.
Announcements:
Thanks as always go to our technical support team – Ramona here in church and Charlotte online. The service couldn’t happen without you. Thank you to our musicians Andrew and Benjie for soul filled sounds today. Thank you for our greeters, our readers and coffee makers – everyone who makes things happen behind the scenes. And thank you to you all for joining us today. Do stay for a drink and a chat here in church and Charlotte will be glad to have a chat with people online.
There are plenty of activities going on and they’re listed in the Friday email and on the back of today’s order of service.
Heart and Soul online, Friday 16th August.
Next Sunday’s service led by your minister Jane and treasurer Patricia Brewerton on ‘Equality’. And after next Sunday’s service Margaret Marshall will be leading her regular free singing class ‘Find Your Voice’.
We heard a quote earlier from writer Trisha Hersey from her book Rest is Resistance – a great read for any of you who feel you might be wasting time by resting. That’s the next book in your congregation’s Better World Book Club – meeting on Mon 26th August 7.30 to 9pm online. Open to all.
Many Voices singing workshop 1-2.30pm on Sept 1st. In person poetry group Weds 4th Sept, community yoga class after the service on 8th Sept. And also that afternoon Rachel Sparks returns to lead the latest Tea Dance – a great social event even if you’re not sure about your dancing steps – Jane will be glad of some volunteers to help on the day.
Lots going on – and we know this Kensington Unitarians community has a life beyond Sundays so a special thanks to those of you who quietly keep in touch with one another. That’s great community building.
So let’s ready ourselves now for our closing words and music.
Benediction: ‘Getting through tough times by supporting one another’
In a world where we cannot stop the tough times from reaching us, in a world where we cannot always protect those we love, let’s remember that by supporting one another the journey is made easier and more companionable. With love guiding our steps, may each of us feel blessed by good company and warmed by the sunshine of one another’s smiles, amen, go well all of you and blessed be.
Closing Music: ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ by Dee & Kent (played by Andrew Robinson)
Rev. Sarah Tinker
11th August 2024
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