CVUUS Sangha’s Dinah Smith, Colleen Brown, Tracey Harrington, Revell Allen and Larry & Helene Vanderburgh led our special Buddhist service on exploring the many paths into the practice of meditation. We acknowledged Mother’s Day. Our choir sang and Carol Harden accompanied Ronnie on the postlude.
Zen Center Peacemaker Quilt Project: One of the quilts was on display before it goes to Breadloaf Mountain Zen Center. It was made by Louise Caldwell, Abi Sessions and Kathryn Schloff. Many half-square triangles have come in from all over the world waiting to be pieced together into imaginative patterns for young people in the child welfare system. Breadloaf has 45 Peacemaker Quilt tops ready for the next step of backing and quilting. If you want to piece together pieces on your sewing machine or one of ours, please contact Joshin. joshin@breadloafmountainzen.org
Watch a recording of the service:
Order of Service
Prelude: Ronnie Romano, Music Dir.
Bell: Land Acknowledgement Larry Vanderburgh
Hymn: Come, Come Whoever You Are CVUUS Choir
Welcome & Pathways to Connection: Acknowledging Our Mothers Larry Vanderburgh
Call to Worship: In the Past I Have Been a Cloud by Thich Nhat Hanh Tracey Harrington
Chalice Lighting: Tracey Harrington
Responsive Reading
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment.
Breathing out, I feel it is a wonderful moment.
Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment
I know this is the only moment.
Hymn: Mediation on Breathing (Teal 1009) CVUUS Choir
Time for All Ages: Tracey Harrington
Dana (Offering): Dinah Smith will frame this. For most of May, we shared our collection with Hungarian Unitarian Church Ukrainian Relief Efforts referred to us by Neil Chippendale. Please write all checks to CVUUS. All cash and checks not otherwise specified will be split between CVUUS and our donee. You can give online at https://cvuus.breezechms.com/give/online. You can also contribute directly to this UUA-supported project online here.
Offering Music: Ronnie Romano
Receiving the Offering: From You I Receive (Gray #402)
Milestones & Passages: Larry Vanderburgh
Prayer/Meditation: Larry Vanderburgh
Reading: Three Tenets of Zen Peacemakers Revell Allen
Reading: Colleen Brown, Revell Allen, Dinah Smith
A Loving Kindness Meditation & Prayer
During a Time of War and Aggression by Brian Joshin Byrnes
Reading: Do You Pray? by K. May Helene Vanderburgh
Anthem: Ubi Caritas (Teal 1048) CVUUS Choir
Thoughts about Meditation: Dinah Smith
Meditation #1: Colleen Brown
Meditation as foundation for the boddisattva path
Music: Ronnie Romano
Meditation #2: Helen Vanderburgh
Meditation as a means of expressing loving kindness
Hymn: Filled with Loving Kindness CVUUS Choir
Closing Words: Colleen Brown
We dedicate the merit of our practice this morning to our mothers and all who have mothered us. We bow to them with gratitude for breathing breath into us – actually or figuratively – and for guiding us through this precious life. In their honor, we express our commitment, in this moment to the four great bodhisattva vows:
Creations are numberless, I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to transform them.
Reality is boundless, I vow to perceive it.
The Awakened Way is unsurpassable, I vow to embody it.
Postlude: Meditation from Thais Ronnie Romano with Carol Harden on viola
Credits: Thanks to Dinah Smith and our CVUUS Sangha members for leading worship; our Choir and Carol Harden for special music; Martha Fulda, Margy Young, Abi Sessions and Richard Hopkins for technical support; our Flower Co-op for seasonal arrangements; Brett Millier and Will Porter and all who helped set up, usher, and greet; Alan Moore for overseeing safety, sound, and social hour.
Thank you for joining us for worship!