Prelude
Chariots of Fire
by Vangelis
played by Charla
McGaugh
Gathering Song
Gather Us In
by Wayne Haugen
adapt. Rev. Dr. Nori J. Rost
Verse 1
Here in this place new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away;
see in this place our fears and our dreaming,
brought here to all in the light of this day.
Chorus 1
Gather us in the lost and forsaken,
gather us in no two just the same;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of our name.
Verse 2
We are the young, our lives are a myst’ry,
we are the old with wisdom and grace;
we have been sung throughout all of hist’ry,
called to be light to the whole human race.
Chorus 2
Gather us in the Buddhist and Pagan,
Humanist, Atheist join in the throng;
gather us in the Theist and Seeking,
give us the courage to enter the song.
Verse 3
Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven light years away;
here in this place the new light is shining,
now is the moment, now is the day.
Chorus 3
Gather us in from all tribes and nations,
gather us in, no one left alone;
gather us in, a great celebration,
fire of love in our flesh and our bones.
Welcome and Sounding of the Bell
Rev. Dr. Nori Rost
Senior Minister
Opening Hymn
Filled with Loving Kindness
words: trad Buddhist mediation adapt. Mark Hayes
music: Ian W. Riddell
#1031 in Singing the Journey
Verse 1
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be whole.
Verse 2
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be whole.
Verse 3
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful and at ease.
May we be whole.
Chalice Lighting
The Basta Family
words by Dana Gioia
Let other mornings honor the miraculous.
Eternity has festivals enough.
This is the feast of our mortality,
The most mundane and human holiday…
The new year always brings us what we want
Simply by bringing us along—
to see a calendar with every day uncrossed,
A field of snow without a single footprint.
Reading
Christina Dobler-Burdick
Secretary, Board of Trustees
words from Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert
If you're brave enough
to leave behind everything familiar and comforting,
which can be anything from your house
to bitter, old resentments,
and set out on a truth-seeking journey,
either externally or internally,
and if you are truly willing
to regard everything that happens to you on that journey
as a clue
and if you accept everyone you meet along the way
as a teacher
and if you are prepared, most of all,
to face and forgive
some very difficult realities about yourself,
then the truth
will not be withheld from you.
Today’s Message
New Frontiers
Rev. Dr. Nori Rost
Special Ceremony
Fire Communion
Offertory Reading
Christina Dobler-Burdick
words by Brad Gast
Brad Gast says,
“No matter what happens,
no matter how far you seem to be away from
where you want to be,
never stop believing that you will somehow make it.
Have an unrelenting belief
that things will work out,
that the long road has a purpose,
that the things that you desire may not happen today,
but they will happen.
Persist and persevere,
your desired path remains possible.”
As we take up the offering,
we are reminded that
all we are called to do as individuals and as a church
is possible so long as
we never give up and always give our best.
Offertory Music
Sacred Road
by David Lanz
played by Charla McGaugh
Offertory Response
From You I Receive
words and music: Joseph and Nathan Segal
#402 in Singing the Living Tradition
From you I receive,
to you I give,
together we share,
and from this we live.
Closing Words
Rev. Dr. Nori Rost
words by Iyanla VanZant
Accept all invitations to do a new thing.
Dare not limit yourself.
Move toward your wildest dream,
take the labels off your mind,
and step boldly into your greatness.
Closing Hymn
We Begin Again in Love
words: Robert Eller-Isaacs
music: Les Kleen
#1037 in Singing the Journey
1
For remaining silent when a single voice
would have made a difference…
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
2
For each time that our fears
have made us rigid and inaccessible …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
3
For each time we have struck out in anger
without just cause …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
4
For each time that our greed
has blinded us to the needs of others …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
5
For the selfishness
that sets us apart and alone …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
6
For falling short of
the admonitions of the spirit …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
7
For losing sight of our unity …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
8
For those and for so many acts
both evident and subtle
which have fueled the illusion of separateness …
We forgive ourselves and each other.
We begin again in love.
Extinguishing the Chalice
Rev. Dr. Nori Rost
Extinguishing the Chalice / Song
As We Leave This Place
words and music: Judy Fjell
1
Now, as we leave this place,
the chalice dims
but the fire still burns within our hearts
beyond these doors.
2
Now, as we leave this place,
mem’ries of each and ev’ry face
carry us ___ into the world.
3
And we will return
for now we know ___ that something
greater ___ than any of us ___ alone
is part of us ___ as we leave this place.
Postlude
Trumpet Tune and Air
by Henry Purcell
played by Charla
McGaugh
Happy New Year.
Thank you
for being part of our community today.