“English” language resources
Kindling the Flame of Truth
Inspired by Cliff Reed’s hymn, The Flame of Truth is Kindled.
We light our chalice, symbol of our Unitarian and Free Christian faith,
For that which is best in us:
For the truth that makes us free,
For the thought that leads us to wisdom,
And for the love that makes us whole.
May this light
Prayer
Friends
Anytime
Is the right time
To be still
To connect with your maker
No thought, no word, no act is necessary.
Just be still
All is known by The One who loves all more than they love themselves
Humble torchbearers
Let not your sole Word silence all the rest,
Nor Truth be prisoned in a single speech.
The soul’s ascent is not a narrow stair,
But rises in a thousand dialects of hope.
We wake, we pray, we dream by different stars,
Yet each stirs awe, and awe is neighbour to the Real.
The call to
The work of worth
In this late hour of reasoned speech,
When stars seem more like metaphor than sign,
And incense curls in empty naves,
Where silence oft must serve as shrine,
Still, something stirs behind the eyes,
That stare at screens to analyse.
We do not speak of God at lunch,
Except in jest or anecdote.
If worship’s seldom
Good News in Troubled Times
When chill winds seem mired with sorrow,
When the tired heart dreads tomorrow,
Still your hearth may trust its embers,
Still the mind can pause, remember…
Not all hope is lost in grieving,
Not all joys are past believing.
Though blue skies grow dim with warning,
Some view dawns, fair light adorning.
While fraught news may travel
For times of disaster or national shock
Please be gentle with yourselves today folks.
Don’t feel like you must have answers for the big questions.
Be sad, be shocked, be angry.
But mostly be gentle…
Be gentle with yourself.
Be gentle with others.
Fear is the emotion of survival.
The mechanism which drives us to fight, or flight in situations which require it.
It
Lighting the Chalice
The congregation is invited to speak the bold sections aloud.
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
We begin our worship with lighting the chalice.
May it speak to us of our inner light;
a light that shines brighter
through open hearts and minds;
a light which the darkness
will not overcome.
Lighting the chalice
The congregation is invited to speak the bold sections aloud.
We light this chalice today
in a spirit of awe and wonder;
in a spirit of curiosity and imagination;
in a spirit of humility and gratitude;
in a spirit of grace and openness.
in a spirit of welcome and hospitality;
in a spirit of encouragement.
Peace be with you.
And