More than relic— Living symbol: Beacon to the bewildered illuminating refuge; Light of love calling to community; Signal of sacred mission. Shine now in the world, Set being ablaze, Kindle our courage, Ignite intuition. Spark our hearts to service. Glow hope.
Amidst the swirl of life's challenges, fears, and even moments of crisis, I make time to gaze at the night sky to see the vastness there, And to remember that this moment in time is but a flicker— Not an inconsequential flicker— For what I do and think now does matter. My work, though, is to let...
May today bring forth transformation in ourselves—from grief, healing; from memory, wholeness; and from celebration, love.
To be a Unitarian Universalist means we’ll never be done with the work.
With humility and courage born of our history, we are called as Unitarian Universalists to build the Beloved Community where all souls are welcome as blessings, and the human family lives whole and reconciled. With this vision in our hearts and minds, we light our chalice. —“A vision for...
We light this chalice to kindle a flame of warmth as a reminder of the connection that draws us in to a community that opens us up.
May this chalice light guide us toward the courageous and openhearted apology, toward repair of relationships in our lives.
This is a house of reflection and contemplation, of joy and sorrow, friendship, sharing and laughter. We light this chalice in remembrance of what we have been and in the hope of what we may become.
We light this flame To ignite the sacred power of justice. We light this flame So that it may be a beacon of hope In moments of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and the unknown....
My beloved people, I cannot pretend, And so I will not tell you, That everything is okay right now. That there is no reason to be angry, That you must be optimistic Or at peace. I cannot pretend these things, And so I won't tell them to you. But now our chalice is lit, And so all I ask in this...
The chalice, as a symbol of Unitarian Universalism, arose as a beacon of hope in an atmosphere of tyranny. The chalice arose as a sign of promise that the marginalized would neither be forgotten nor ignored, because they are beloved and precious from the perspective of the Holy. This morning, we...
We kindle this flame, Honoring the doorways in our souls: The windows through which we gaze at one another The balconies where we catch glimpses of sky The thresholds we stand on this morning Wondering, hoping, fearing, dreaming.
I light this chalice as a symbol of my commitment to the values of Unitarian Universalism. May its light be a beacon of hope to me, and to all who seek freedom, truth, and meaning in life.
We are a People of Memory. As inheritors of our ancestors’ legacy, we hold their stories tenderly. Gleaning wisdom from diverse journeys; united in hope for the future. Guide us to trust in love as we kindle this flame together.
Fire consumes, and casts a bright light. May our chalice flame consume our regrets for the past, our fears about the future, and our worries about today. May it light for us a path of joy and peace.
As we kindle this flame, May it spark in each of us Connection and commitment To this living tradition And to each other.
In these hard times, let us look first to the response of love. In the midst of challenge, may our chalice flame bear witness to the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. In the midst of uncertainty, may our chalice be a beacon of encouragement, that our values may guide our choices....
Fire and water, ancient opposites Sun and ocean, the cradle of life Dancing flame and dancing river— We invoke them together today As we kindle our chalice flame.
What is this fire? A match, a wick, a flame. What is this place? Wood, and stone, and glass. Yet here we have gathered In this place Before this flame Making each holy By our presence here, together.
In memory of all the flames that didn't die— in the midst of darkness, in spite of the darkness, we light this flame today. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:5 NRSV)...
We gather in this time of uncertainty, full of unknowns, as angst closes in upon us. We light this chalice with a flame that draws us together. With this flame, we cut through the dankness of isolation and are warmed by the fires of our interconnection....
We call forth the life of our faith by igniting our chalice. This spark of new beginnings invites us into a sacred space to reflect where we have been and where we are going. Even knowing that this particular flame will intentionally end with our ritual extinguishing, we fear not its end… For we...
Reader 1: Flaming chalice, symbol of our living tradition, we kindle you for light Reader 2: Light in this darkest season of the year Light to reveal the sources of greed and hate among us Light to guide our way forward together Reader 1: Chalice Flame, we kindle you for love Reader 2: Love to ke...
And so we gather, from the ebb and flow of our lives Thirsty for connection to ourselves Thirsty for connection to others Thirsty for connection to the larger life. As we light this chalice May all who gather here be filled: Filled with joy and hope Filled with compassion and love Here, may we be...
Out of the flames of fear We rise with courage of our deepest convictions to stand for justice, inclusion and peace Out of the flames of scrutiny We rise to proclaim our faith With hope to heal a fractured and hurting world Out of the flames of doubt We rise to embrace the mystery, wonder and awe...
Divine spark from sacred dark Symbol of our holy intent Illuminate this hour.
We light this chalice in honor of the animal realm, Furred and hoofed, two-legged, four-legged, many-legged, Fanged and clawed, gentle and fierce, wild and tame. May we remember that all animals are our relatives, Worthy of our care and respect.
In recognition of Labor Day, we light this flame to honor all work, Including the work of our hands hands and our backs, in gratitude for all the labors that support our world, and for all those who boldly continue the work of justice, equity, and peace.
We light our chalice as a symbol of gratitude as we celebrate the abundance of our lives together. In this sanctuary we harvest bushels of strength for one another, and offer our crop with the hands of compassion and generosity....
Out of the darkness, light. Out of the light, warmth. Out of the warmth, joy. Out of the joy, togetherness. May this flame hold us for the time we are here with one another.
A chalice lit in our midst is a symbol of our liberal faith, A faith built on the foundation of freedom, reason and tolerance A faith sustained by acts of kindness and justice A faith that visions a world flourishing with equality for all her people A faith that demands the living out of goodness...
For holy days on which we recall the old stories, we light the flame. For Passover which reminds us of the courage and strength of those seeking freedom in the past, we light the flame. For Easter which reminds us that love is our greatest challenge, we light the flame....
I light this chalice for all the times you have lit this chalice; For every time you struck the match Or flicked that zapper thing Or empowered a nervous parishioner to do the same. I light this chalice for all that you've done: For all you've fostered and cultivated and nudged; For all you've...
Long ago the chalice of communion wine was set apart for priests alone. We would have all share in the bounty of the earth: wind and milk, bread and meat, that none may go hungry. Long ago those who spoke their minds freely were put to death by fire. We would use fire to warm all bodies and light...
Each of the stars in the heavens is unique, an individual, yet together they form the night sky; Each of us here is unique, an individual, yet together we are a congregation; Each of our congregations is unique, an individual, yet together we are an Association....
We light this flame As our fervent plea to brighten the dark corners of our hearts; We hold this flame For in it is the promise of warmth for souls grown cold in loss and despair; We kindle this light That we might continue to find comfort in its warmth; strength in its light; holiness in its...
For the gift of this day and for our community of spiritual nurture and compassion, we give thanks. We light this chalice as a symbol of our faith. May our many sparks meet and merge in communion of heart and soul.
O light of life, Be kindled again in our hearts As we meet together this morning To celebrate the joy of human community Seeking a wholeness that extends beyond ourselves.
Reverently I offer this symbol of our hope and high intent. Reverently I bequeath this flame to you. This is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world. Bear this light to others, one by one. Let the flame go from life to life till all is lit with its warmth. Tell that the light...
We light this chalice for mothers and mothering; to celebrate those who have taken on the task of nurturing a young one-baby, child, or youth-into adulthood; to celebrate those who have nourished the light of truth and compassion in growing minds and hearts; to celebrate those who have committed...
We light this chalice in honor of Life’s sacred dance of living and dying. May its flame remind us of those who have passed to us fragments of holiness. May it remind us that we too are participants in the dance. inspired by Wendell Berry and Sara Moores Campbell...
We gather together on this Christmas Eve as fellow sojourners looking for light, for hope, for peace, and for love. We gather as people from many backgrounds, many faiths, many cultures, and many spiritual paths. But as we light this chalice, we gather as one body looking to the Nativity for its...
We ignite this flame, symbol of our faith, to beckon us into community, warm our hearts with love, and give us a light to follow as we carry our faith into action.
We light this chalice, the beacon that calls us: To love To justice To a deepening of the spirit.
All that we have ever loved And all that we have ever been Stands with us on the brink Of all that we aspire to create: A deeper peace, A larger love, A more embracing hope, A deeper joy in this life we share.
During our darkest moments, still, there is hope. When facing our biggest challenges, still, there is hope. When all we can do is put one foot in front of the other, still, there is hope. When we can’t find the way out, still, there is hope. When all we can do to help is hold someone’s hand as...
Birth is a miracle of love and courage, bringing light into the world; Death is a loss of light, but no less an act of courage, For we are born from— and return to— mystery. Source: © Lori Gorgas Hlaban, 2009...
(May be read responsively) We are not alone. We are this flame, ancient as the stars, new as the vulnerable spark. We are not alone. We are this chalice, rimmed by the spiral dance of searching. We are not alone. We are the light soaring, the shadow deepening, the dance between them. We are not...
We light this chalice as a symbol of reunion. We reunite in this sanctuary to share the flow of our hearts with one another. We gather together in ritual to celebrate our fountains of joy to hold each other through storms of grief to guide one another through rapids of transformation to rest...
Across the distance, the light from within me shines, sending love to all Across the distance, your light is fuel that warms me and helps to keep my own light burning Together, we keep the flame of community burning bright...