The world in the mirror may be true, but it is not the whole truth. We have an idea, a vision, hints, and daily instructions. In celebration of the life we share together. Instead my prayers often differ little from my conversations with friends. Help us make this a discipline of the mind and heart, empowered by Your Spirit, transforming us each day more and more into your likeness. May all glory go up to You when we reach the finish line and climb over benchmarks. What would happen if we first held a Unitarian Universalist revival service of national or international proportions to reconnect with our highest selves and our truest purposes? That it will never pass away Help us build a culture of generosity as we do the work of this church in the world. It is not simply a matter of atheists in foxholes, which, by the way, is who Id prefer to share space with when my number is up. Many blessings and joy to you on this journey, Amy. I release those thoughts and ideas that keep me from living my best life now. If you don't know who you're praying to, don't fret, you're in the same boat as many Unitarian Universalists. Blanket us with Your peace today, Father. I express my thankfulness for all that I have and all that I am, for the privilege of having another day in which to play on the worlds stage, for my husbands words of encouragement, for the rain that feeds the flower garden. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Ill share this time with you. Not for miracles, but to meet the mundane with grace and hope. Now available is our new DailyPrayer devotional! May we be those who draw together the threads of peace Unitarian Universalists state that from these traditions comes a deep regard for intellectual freedom and inclusive love, so that congregations and members seek inspiration and derive insight from all major world religions. Notice that Oliver begins with silent astonishment, is moved to put her thoughts into words, and then she ends in silence, listening to how her heart is moved by what shes experienced. This is basic Buddhism, and I am quite sure that in every religion there are those who have practiced for a long time and have this understanding. In your name, Amen. And the hope to abide well with each other and your divine. You can pick any subject to talk to Him about. Enjoy watching the drifting smoke. Prayers - Midland Unitarian Association If someone recited the prayer with you, you may choose to blow out the candle together. We love You for that, Father. I thank You that we are brothers and sisters by Your design. May we appreciate our friends: Thankfully, we are not expected to be perfect. The flaming chalice, symbol of our living faith, burns brightly. I need to pray without ceasing if I am to sustain my involvement in the suffering of the world. Worship theory What is worship? Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Yet, on this earth He promised us that we would encounter much pain. Do you want to have some fun?. (SYF 126)(Winnie Gordon), Mystery of Love that we cannot define, Even in failed attempts, You blow us away with Your faithfulness to provide what we need. You see, the atheists I know often engage in concrete forms of prayer as they seek to give of themselves, to transcend their own limitations, to work on behalf of human rights, and to respond to the needs of others. [10]TheUnitarian Universalist Association(UUA) was formed in 1961, a consolidation of theAmerican Unitarian Association, established in 1825, and theUniversalist Church of America,[11]established in 1866. The pride that puffs us up and the pride that threatens to unqualify us. A group of Unitarian Universalists set out by boat on a three-hour site-seeing tour, led by their minister. Steer our intentions to align with Your righteous will. You know, he said, I have a solution to your problem. And may we try to follow the Golden Rule in our lives We pray that when we encounter suffering of this kind we may react with honesty and patience, and on Passion Sunday we remember the word linked with passion, namely that of compassion. Your Word is alive and active. We ask that the Holy Spirit please open our eyes so we may see anything that is hindering our relationship with you. Let us go forth from this place, Make friendship, human worth He promoted prayer among them by defining prayer differently than most of his contemporaries. (Beth Ann Baus). Four Opening Prayers Come Into This Place Come in. And let your loving commandments be carried out We thank you for our ancestors in faith, for their many diverse heritages, for the bravery of the first Unitarians in challenging dogma and standing up for reason, freedom and tolerance even in the face of death. Steadfast in our love, Nurture our soul Father in Heaven, Abba, Yahweh, who delights in His children. (Gavin Lloyd), As we come towards the close of our service, we think of Hans Swegen and the inspiring Rainforest project he strove to bring about; how we can learn from this, how one persons determination and courage to see their ideas, concern and conviction through to the end can be an example and encouragement to us. Help us make earth a foretaste of heaven, living in harmony with all things. Congregations often do the same. Glory be to the One True, Triune, God! Cover us with a blanket of honesty and patience that is not of this world. [5][6]Unitarian Universalists do not share acreedbut are unified by their shared search forspiritual growth. And, truly, we want nothing that is not associated with you - it will only leave us empty. Not falling away when the going gets rough, So be it. Your email address will not be published. Why pray to a distant Creator when the spirit of life is at your fingertips, even in your fingertips? But today will be a joyful day. Spirit of love and of life, Thou who animates our lives, We need you. We thank you for your redemptive work youve done in our lives. Take what we have prepared and multiply our efforts as only You can. God, you are one that leaves us on full. We strive to bring you to life. Even living a chaotic life, we are hopeful. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray. God is us and we are God. Let us desire to become more like you and to worship you in all we do. In Jesus name, Amen. So, as we sit here today, let us release the bind of blame in exchange for accord. But nobody's going to "get" you if you blow it out with a puff of breath! Rest in silence. Heavenly Father, we come before you today in humility and faith. I assert my oneness with you and all humankind and all creation. But then we would find ourselves outside of an experience that has been part of the human condition since the first sun rose to warm and nourish the earth, accompanied by the chorus of birds and the cacophony of crickets. The bible says that where two or three are gathered in His name He is there also. Throughout eternity, Amen(Lesley Harris), Spirit of Life and Love, without and within, Only You truly know what we are setting out to accomplish today. Forgive us for our pride. Our chalice is extinguished. Please join me in reciting our living covenant: I invite you to join me in this prayer adapted from the United Conference of Catholic Bishops: For those who are particularly vulnerable. We draw on our old faith traditions, look to other world religions to incorporate beliefs . Spirit of life and love, Your word says to stand our ground, and thats what we will do, in the power of your Name. (Dorothy Haughton), Grant that as winter dies away and new life is reborn we may rise to a greater awareness of the gifts of nature round about us and a greater awareness of the rebirth, continuity and unity of life. And I believe sometimes prayer allows us to understand our situations, rather than affect the outcome. 2023 Hope Unitarian Church - Tulsa, Oklahoma 8432 S. Sheridan, Tulsa, OK 74133 (918)481-0999, Seeking Hope, Love, and Justice Together in Community. Can God Trust Us with The Trivial Things? Then soar, on a wing and a prayer, as if your life depended on it. And though the darkness has not fallen at our behest Forgive us for not honoring you with our whole heart. Wow! May we exercise freedom, reason and tolerance and keep our hearts and minds always open to the light and truth that is ever breaking forth from your word, always sewing new strands and colours into that tapestry of faith, to make it ever more colourful and beautiful. We are alive! (Gavin Lloyd), Blessed Spirit of our lives, may we leave here strengthened to face the world with clear vision, to have ears open to hear the still small voice, and with peace and love in our hearts. Amen. our common faith and deed. Heavenly Father, We are all your children, and you love us in a way we can hardly fathom. Dear Lord, Thank you that the teachings in Scripture are still relevant to our lives today. A place where people of reason, humor and compassion come together to explore religion without dogma or guilt and to work for a world based on peace and justice. Let us worship with our eyes and ears and fingertips; let us love the world through heart and mind and body. Beautiful, hand turned maple wood chalice Let us be open to expression and be understood. [14]At the time of the North American consolidation, Unitarians and Universalists had expanded beyond their roots in liberal Christian theology. Just Google on UU Meditations Try including your theme in the search term. Blue skies against white clouds, rolling across, transfigured in shapes so imaginative, exporting souls to their new destination. Your Word says that there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for You are all one in Christ Jesus. For you entered here in fellowship, God of the common things in life. Global Chalice Lightings Worship resources from the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU). Our hearts change as we seek Gods wisdom and Truth. Whether starting a business meeting, church service, or family event, you can use these prayers to join together to ask God for guidance and blessing. (Dorothy Haughton), Sustainer of Life and of abiding human values, may your name be hallowed; may your kingdom be without and within; may your purposes prevail both in this world and beyond. Prayer is mostly silence; often our verbosity in prayer masks the fear of knowing ourselves to the point that we must change who we are or how we live. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. And treating one another Meaning, prayer for people who are all over the map, theologically. It is difficult to sing when all around there is war and tumult; but eventually we realise that singing is a way to keep the vision bright. To a family member who was ill, to a colleague who was anxious or depressed, to a friend who was grieving a great loss, I could say: "I'll pray for you." And it meant I cared. If the prayer just makes you feel more peaceful and connected to the life spirit of the universe, that's good too. But today will be a joyful day. As Unitarian Universalists, our work is loving the world, which is accomplished, according to Mary Oliver, by mostly standing still and learning to be amazed. Look up, look out, look beyond the familiar, see the familiar as new. Keep us physically safe and guard our hearts and minds from pride and selfishness. They say, Hi. A Prayer for God to Turn Hearts Back to Him in America - Your Daily Prayer - July 2, American Idol Contestant Iam Tongi Sings There Is Peace In Christ, 10 Classic Hymns You Might Remember and Why They're Important, 9 Points That Argue the Eternality of Hell, 20 Bible Verses and Scripture Quotes on Freedom. In extreme emotion, this indescribable feeling is even more pronounced. I sometimes put thoughts or words to my breathing, perhaps breathing in compassion, and then breathing out neglect, or breathing in self-love and breathing out self-judgment. Your dreams and hopes for the world, mine also. supports HTML5 video, Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. To find these reflections on how to live, worship, question, learn, grow, and deepen in spirit, you may shop for the InSpirit books at inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop. May our daily needs be met, This is the place for intercession, to pray and advocate for those you know who are in need or for whom you simply care about without reservation. Do Unitarians Pray? - Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation Whoever you are, whomever you love, wherever you are on your spiritual journey and whatever your life circumstance, you are welcome here. In Jesus name, Amen. Holy Spirit, faithfully nudge and reminds us that we are children of God, freed from the chains of sin by Christs sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection and assertion to heaven where He is seated by the Father. We ask your grace and benediction to aid us in all this, so that we may walk in love with each other, with the world, and with you. Nothing is ever in vain, for even mistakes and missteps are used for good. We ask these things His precious name. Amen (SLT 108 / HFL 133)(Rev. But in all of this, very little is said of the reason why we do pray. Recalibrate our intentions and refocus our hearts. As the boat was sinking, the minister lifted his voice to ask, Does anybody know how to pray?, One man spoke confidently in answer: Yes, Reverend, I do., Thats great, said the minister, obviously relieved. Add whatever wishes or concerns are on your heart and mind, either silently or aloud, for example, "I send my positive thoughts to Uncle Joe during his surgery and ask for a quick and full recovery.". Blow out the match, and look at the flame for a few seconds to bring yourself to the present moment. Unitarian Universalists often will not blow out a ritual candle, but rather will use a candle-extinguisher -- a bell-shaped, inverse metal cup that hangs down from a handle to cover the flame. We love you, and praise you and your majesty. May we not harden our heart when we hear your voice, but rather circumcise those things of our heart that youre asking us to remove. Includes a monthly series of globabl chalice lightings (in many languages) as well as sermons and other program materials. Dr. Sofa Betancourt to Serve as President of the Unitarian Universalist Association at General Assembly: Multiplatform annual business meeting brought more than 4,000 Unitarian Universalists together online and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Delegates also voted to advance changes to association bylaws on core religious values. Come into this place which we make holy by our presence. I cannot maintain a balanced life if I am feeding the hungry but starving my own soul. In Your perfect way, You hold the world in balance and our souls in tune. Entire services are also available. See Opening Words | Meditations | Chalice Lightings | Closings | Readings. In this way may we bring about peace, love and hope, the glorious aim of our world for all eternity. 10 Blessing A Blessing for Bridging By Maureen Killoran Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Beginnings, Bridging, Bridging Ceremony, Coming of Age, Community, Generations, Growth, Home, Hope, Humanism, Love, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism, Young Adults, WorshipWeb A Blessing for Finals