“
Learning to Love Accountability
”
Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx, Guest Worship Leader
Order of Service
2020 July 12
We UUs love our freedom. Freedom is more powerful when it is freedom TO rather than freedom FROM. “What do we want to be free to do?” is a much more engaging and inspiring question than “From what do we want to be free?” To what do we want to commit ourselves so much that we want to be held accountable?
Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx is a UU minister who lives in Portland, OR, and often visits our congregation when visiting family in New Rochelle. She is a community minister whose work focuses on supporting leaders to lead with radical authenticity, inclusivity and care. Her website is
ConversationThatMatters.com
.
Gathering Music
Selections from the album
Night Train
Oscar Peterson
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Randy Newman, performed by the CUUC Choir
The CUUC Choir is directed by Lisa N. Meyer
and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas
Welcome ~
Rev. LoraKim Joyner, Worship Associate
Chalice Lighting
~ Rev. Meredith Garmon, Minister
We light this chalice to affirm that new light is ever waiting
to break through to illumine our ways;
That new truth is ever waiting
to break through to enlighten our minds;
And that new love is ever waiting
to break through to warm our hearts.
UU Minute
~ Rev. Meredith Garmon
Opening Music
From Three Preludes
George Gershwin, performed by Adam Kent
Invocation ~
Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx, Guest Worship Leader
From
“
The Sermon on the Warpland
”
&
“
The Second Sermon on the Warpland
”
by Gwendolyn Brooks
Build now your Church, my brothers, sisters. Build
never with brick or Corten nor with granite.
Build with lithe love. With love like lion-eyes.
with love like morningrise.
with love like black, our black—
luminously indiscreet;
complete; continuous.
This is the urgency: Live!
The garbageman is dignified
as any diplomat.
Big Bessie's feet hurt like nobody's business,
but she stands—bigly—under the unruly scrutiny.
It is lonesome. Yes.
Nevertheless, live.
Conduct your blooming in the noise and whip of the whirlwind.
Hymn
~ #1014, Answering the Call of Love (formerly Standing on the Side of Love)
The promise of the Spirit: faith, hope and love abide.
And so ev’ry soul is blessed and made whole;
the truth in our hearts is our guide.
Chorus
:
We are answering the call of love:
hands joined together as hearts beat as one.
Emboldened by faith, we dare to proclaim
we are answering the call of love.
Sometimes we build a barrier to keep love tightly bound.
Corrupted by fear, unwilling to hear,
denying the beauty we’ve found.
Chorus
A bright new day is dawning when love will not divide.
Reflections of grace in ev’ry embrace,
fulfilling the vision divine.
Chorus
Affirmation in Word ~
Rev. LoraKim Joyner
We covenant to nurture each other in our spiritual journeys;
foster compassion and understanding within and beyond our community;
and engage in service to transform ourselves and our world.
Affirmation in Song ~
#318, We Would Be One (verse 1)
We would be one as now we join in singing
our hymn of love, to pledge ourselves anew
to that high cause of greater understanding
of who we are, and what in us is true.
We would be one in living for each other
to show to all a new community.
Homily 1
~ Rev.
Leslie Becknell Marx
Musical Interlude
Golliwogg’s Cakewalk
Claude Debussy, performed by Adam Kent, CUUC Music Director
Time for All Ages ~
Rev.
Leslie Becknell Marx
Anthem
Flying Free
Don Besig
The CUUC Choir is directed by Lisa N. Meyer
and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas
Our Congregation
~ Hunger & Homelessness Social Justice Team
Share the Plate for July & August
Meals for HOPE Community Services
Prayer ~
Rev.
Leslie Becknell Marx
Sung Response
Calling all you hungry hearts - Every where through endless time
You who wander you who thirst - I offer you this heart of mine.
Calling all you hungry spirits - All the lost and the left behind
All I can I’ll share with you - Your joy and your sorrow, I make it mine.
Musical Meditation
Hi To Mi
Horii Kojiro, performed by Rodrigo Rodriguez
Homily 2
~ Rev.
Leslie Becknell Marx
Hymn
~ #155, Circle
’Round For Freedom
Circle ’round for freedom,
circle ’round for peace,
for all of us imprisoned,
circle for release.
Circle for the planet,
circle for each soul,
for the children of our children,
keep the circle whole.
(sing through three times)
Announcements, Passing of the Peace
~ Rev. LoraKim Joyner
Be Safe, Be Well
Extinguishing the Chalice
~ Rev. Meredith Garmon
As we have gathered, so we depart
To carry into the world who we are:
People of free faith: seeking a deeper truth.
People of love: resolved to build belonging.
Spoken Benediction
~ Rev.
Leslie Becknell Marx
Sung Benediction ~
#123 Spirit of Life
Spirit of life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free;
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.
Music for Parting
Selections from the album
Night Train
Oscar Peterson
