Light the Chalice

It’s past time for unveiling the truth in historical interpretation and the perfect moment for declaring a change of name for an old holiday.

Music "Polonaise in G- Minor" by Chopin
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Chalice Lighting Words Excerpt from Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit by Leslie Marmon Silko, of Laguna Pueblo, Mexican and Anglo-American heritage
Read by Amy Rosebush
Introit Strings by Stephen Downen, Keyboard by Amy Rosebush
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Song "Love Knocks and Waits for Us to Hear" Words and Music by Daniel Charles Damon (From Singing the Journey, Copyright 2005, Unitarian Universalist Association)
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice Stephen Downen

Love knocks and waits for us to hear, to open and invite;
Love longs to quiet every fear, and seeks to set things right.

Love offers life, in spite of foes, who threaten and condemn;
embracing enemies, Love goes the second mile with them.

Love comes to heal the broken heart, to ease the troubled mind;
without a word Love bids us start to ask and seek and find.

Love knocks and enters at the sound of welcome from within;
Love sings and dances all around, and feels new life within.

Closing Words Attributed to Black Elk, Read by Rev. Amy Kindred.

Dear Listener,
Were you enlightened by what you heard?
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online.
Signed,
Gratitude Always

The secular world provides countless opportunities for surprise and reflection. Who knew a simple license plate could prompt numerous hours of wonder?

Chalice Lighting Words by Rainer Maria Rilke, Read by Stephen Downen
Song "Tis a Gift to Be Simple" Words by Joseph Bracket , An American Shaker Tune (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, copyright1993)
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice & Strings Stephen Downen
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Song "Every Night and Every Morn" vs.1, Words by William Blake, Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, copyright 1993)
Voice Stephen Downen
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Closing Words by Audre Lorde, Read by Reverend Amy Kindred

Dear Listener,
Do you enjoy what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, 
Gratitude Always

I stumble. You stumble. We all stumble. 
May we learn the fine art of forgiveness. 

Chalice Lighting Words by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro,
Read by Stephen Downen & Reverend Amy Kindred
Music "O What a Piece of Work Are We"  Words by Malvina Reynolds,
Melody by Charles H. Webb. (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993)
      Verse One:
      O what a piece of work are we, how marvelously wrought,
      the quick contrivance of the hand, the wonder of our thought,
      the wonder of our thought.
      Verse Two:
      Why need to look for miracles outside of nature's law?
      Humanity we wonder at with every breath we draw,
      with every breath we draw.
      Verse Three:
      But give us room to move and grow, but give our spirit play,
      and we can make a world of light out of the common clay,
      out of the common clay.
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice Stephen Downen
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Closing Words by Orlando Brugnola, 
Read by Amy Rosebush.

Dear Listener,
Do you love what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, 
Gratitude Always

When faced with giants of frightening forms, what do you draw upon for strength? Preacher and Professor James Luther Adams shared some suggestions with universal appeal.

Chalice Lighting Words by Adlai Stevenson, Read by Stephen Downen
Music "Bright Morning Stars are Rising," American Folk Song, arr. by James A. Lucas (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993)
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice Stephen Downen
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Strings Stephen Downen
Closing Words George Kimmich Beach , Read by Amy Rosebush.

Dear Listener,
Do you love what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, 
Gratitude Always

Some things are worth the fight. Struggling to preserve one's sense of identity is one of them.

Chalice Lighting Words "On the Brink" by Takahashi Morris, Read by Rev. Amy Kindred
Music "Mother Spirit, Father Spirit" by Norbert F.Capek, tr. by Paul & Anita Munk (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993)
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice Stephen Downen
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Strings Stephen Downen
Closing Words by Vincent Van Gogh , Read by Amy Rosebush.

Dear Listener,
Do you love what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, 
Gratitude Always

Few people seek to intentionally disagree. And yet, most of us
will find ourselves stuck in a puddle of contention on more than one occasion.
What to do? What not to do? These are the questions explored in this episode.

Chalice Lighting Words by Kenneth Patton, Read by Rev. Amy Kindred
Message The Reverend Amy Kindred
Closing Words by Shannon Adler, Read by Stephen Downen
Music Gonna Lay Down My Sword and Shield*, African American spiritual, arr. by Mary Allen Walden (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993)
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Voice Stephen Downen
* We love this rousing song! When Stephen sings the third verse, "Gonna shake hands all around the world," he doesn't mean it literally right now in the era of COVID-19. He is helping us to dream of a future when we can actually reach out and touch one another..

Dear Listener,
Do you love what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, 
Gratitude Always

When life is messy, people get agitated.
How do we avoid losing sight of brighter days ahead?

Chalice Lighting Words An excerpt of a poem by Mary Oliver (From a collection titled The Leaf and the Cloud) Read by Stephen Downen
Music Rising Green by Carolyn McDade. Arranged by Jim Scott
(From Singing the Journey, Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005)
Voice Stephen Downen
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Message Written and Read by the Reverend Amy Kindred*
Closing Words Translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda (From The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) Read by the Reverend Amy Kindred
Closing Song Filled With Loving Kindness, a traditional Buddhist Meditation. Adapted by Mark W. Hays, Music by Ian W. Riddell (From Singing the Journey, Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005) 
Voice Stephen Downen
Keyboard Amy Rosebush

* The Apple Tree by Sandy Tharp-Thee is available  through her website, www.sandytharpthee.com and on Amazon.com.

Dear Listener,
Do you love what you hear? 
Go to uuffpspacecoast.org and show us some love by donating online. 
Signed, Gratitude Always

Building on a foundation of hidden stories, what will it take for us to recreate the world?


Chalice Lighting Words By Lewis Howard Latimer. Read by Amy Rosebush.
Music We Are Building a New Way, Words & Music by Martha Sandefer
(Arranged by Jim Scott. From Singing the Journey, Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005)
Voice & Percussion Stephen Downen
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Message Written and Read by the Reverend Amy Kindred
Closing Words Principles and Purposes for All of Us (From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association, May 1993) Read by Stephen Downen and Amy Rosebush

Stephen Downen and Amy Rosebush provide reflective readings and uplifting music.

Light the Chalice Theme Song - Composed and Performed by Stephen Downen

Opening Words: #434 "May we be reminded..." - Anonymous

Opening Song: Song Without Words - Composed by Felix Mendellsohn, Performed by Amy Rosebush

Chalice Lighting: #447 "At times our own light..." - Albert Schweitzer

#1021 Lean on Me - Words & Music by Bill Withers, arr. David Moran.  Performed by Stephen Downen 

Reading: #665 "Transcendental Etude" - Adrienne Rich

Piano Meditation: Rhapsodie Hongroise - Composed by Franz Liszt, Performed by Amy Rosebush

Poetry Reading: "Music" by Alice Cary, read by Stephen Downen

#1027 Cuando el Pobre (When the Poor Ones)- Composed by Jose Antonio Olivar & Miguel Manzano, performed by Stephen Downen (Vocals, Drums, Guitars) & Amy Rosebush (Keyboard)

Reading: #123 Spirit of Life by Carolyn McDade

#388 Dona Nobis Pacem, Traditional canon performed by Stephen Downen

Ending Credits: #1018 Improvisation on Come and Go With Me, performed by Amy Rosebush (piano) & Stephen Downen (Drums)

A creation story from Australia reminds us to be good stewards.


Chalice Lighting Mahatma Gandhi, Read by Amy Rosebush
Music When the Spirit Says Do, African American spiritual,-Civil Rights Period
(Arranged by Mark Freundt, From Singing the Living Tradition, Unitarian Universalist Association @ 2005)
Voice & Percussion Stephen Downen
Keyboard Amy Rosebush
Message Adaptation of a story from The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales (Dawn Casey & Anne Wilson), Read by the Reverend Amy Kindred
Closing Words by Gary Kowalski, Read by Stephen Downen
Technical Support Adam Byrn Tritt