February 10, 2008 Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
* * *100 slides of photographs of church life were shown throughout this talk.
The new baby is all awash with glory.
She has a cry that say, "I'm here. I'm here."
--Mary Oliver
Hello Naia Marilyn!
At one month old, you may be the youngest member of this community.
Here's a story for you from P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins Comes Back.
A new baby has been born in the Banks family.
Over the new baby Annabel's cradle a voice asks, "What is she?
And where did she come from?"
A Starling bird, perched on the window sill,
speaks to the new baby Annabel, telling her to answer.
And the new born baby speaks.
"I am earth and air and fire and water," she said softly.
"I come from the Dark where all things have their beginning.
I come from the sea and its tide, from the sky and its stars,
I come from the sun and its brightness.
And I come from the forests of earth."
As if in a dream, Mary Poppins rocked the cradle to-and-fro,
to-and-fro with a steady swinging movement.
"Slowly I moved at first," said Annabel, "always sleeping and dreaming.
I remembered all I had been and I thought of all I shall be.
And when I had dreamed my dream I awoke and came swiftly."
She paused for a moment, her blue eyes full of memories.
"I heard the stars singing as I came and I felt warm wings about me.
I passed the beasts of the jungle and came through the dark, deep waters.
It was a long journey."
Annabel was silent.
Mary Poppins' hand lay quietly on the side of the cradle.
She had stopped rocking.
"A long journey, indeed!" said the Starling softly,
lifting its head from its breast.
"And, ah, so soon forgotten."
We're grateful for your life, Naia.
You help us see the world anew,
lighten our hearts, awaken our hope.
You remind us, dear little one, of who we really are
and where we really came from.
One day Chris came to a meeting here at church with his son Ben.
As soon as they walked into the room, the meeting changed.
I was gazing at Ben,
"Just look at your sparkling eyes, your cute nose,
your beautiful mouth, your soft skin, your precious body..."
Alisa, our office administrator, was sitting in the room.
Hearing myself, I started to play with how I sounded.
I fell on to my knees in front of Alisa.
I said, "Just look at your sparkling eyes, your cute nose,
your beautiful mouth..."
It started as a joke, then I was really seeing Alisa.
And she is radiant.
You, dear people,
were wonderfully, beautifully made.
Look at your beautiful eyes, your lovely cheeks, your amazing hands.
Just look at you.
Even as we get older and challenged with cynicism and aching knees,
we are still pretty amazing.
If we practice showing awe to each other,
as we gray and wrinkle, even as we droop and dangle,
we can see each person's inherent worth and dignity.
Maybe we human beings can evolve
into compassionate beings who can live in peace.
You, dear Naia, were made in your parents' lovemaking,
You took form in your mother's womb.
Each of us grew in the dark,
evolved from tiny cell, to cluster of cells
to tadpole-likeness,
to a being with limbs, fingers, and toes-
a long journey.
And then welcome to the world!
From birth to last breath, may you be held by this community.
May you be welcomed in the ritual of child blessing,
enter into the embrace of community.
May the kids just ahead of you hold you and love you
and help you find your way.
Here may you be entranced by wonderful stories
and enact wonderful stories,
stories that will help you through your life journey.
May you learn in large gatherings-
and in small groups
with adults who care about you,
want you to feel good about yourself,
one another,
and the world you live in.
May you feel your energy and possibilities.
May you know your essential you-ness, your uniqueness,
what makes you special.
May you be encouraged to express yourself
and know you're not alone!
We want you to grow up worshiping with beautiful music and dance
and for you to make beautiful music-
and dance.
You'll celebrate holidays here-
and they'll mean more celebrated in community.
Holidays, ordinary days, all your days-
may you enjoy life and feel you've got
your own playful guardian angel cheering you on.
Or a heavenly host of them-
when needed, ready to guard and protect you
when you are frightened and hurting.
We have a dream of creating a beloved intergenerational,
multicultural, multiracial community
who take hands and sing and dance together.
Together we'll reach for this dream.
to live our lives with integrity, justice,
and joy!
We are all connected, worshiping and praying together.
We wish for you to make really good friends here.
May you greet and be greeted with kindness,
and welcome strangers as friends.
May you have mentors who you can turn to
for support, for listening, for counsel.
May you feel seen and heard and encouraged to be your best self.
May there be camping, hiking, meals,
rituals shared in the beauty of the world.
May there be the time you need
to figure out who you are and what you believe.
We wish for you to know yourself well,
to respect and love yourself.
May you be at home in yourself-
at home with one another.
May there be support as you risk-
and soar!
May your accomplishments and your journey celebrated,
your coming of age ritualized in community.
In your high school years, may you find a circle of youth and advisors
who draw forth your truth,
who keep you in touch with your depths, your wisdom,
your worth and dignity,
your gifts and responsibilities,
supporting you through the confusing and difficult times,
in your questions and in your searching,
reminding you there is always promise within you.
It's never too late to turn things around.
As you grow to be an older youth,
may you continue to have fun with children.
Lets all make friends from each decade of life,
learn from one another and help each other
through life's discouragements, disillusionments, and disappointments.
Across the generations we can refresh one another
when our hope fades and our faith needs renewing.
What if despite everything,
we could be free to be playful and goofy and loving?
We could make a joyful noise together!
And when your heart aches, may you share your tears here.
Throughout your life,
may you share your joys and sorrows in community,
always be able to find a listening ear, a caring presence.
We are all kinds of people,
all kinds of families,
learning to respect our differences,
and celebrate them.
Each of us has a piece of the truth
and we need one another to be more whole.
We are one body!
We depend upon one another more than we know.
May parents be supported in their parenting.
Children can experience great blessings
through regular participation in this community.
When parents feel pressures for their children
to be perfect students and athletes and musicians,
may conversations with each other remind them
of what's really most important.
May this be the place for the spirit,
where parents and kids grow.
The more you're here, the more fun you have,
the more at home you'll feel.
As children grow up,
may they too want to sign the membership book
and be official members of this community
that has held them all along.
At each age and stage, may you want never to miss worship.
Music, words, silence can touch your soul.
You are spirited, enlivened, connected.
Together we practice clarifying our beliefs
and respecting the beliefs of others
across differences of outlook, theological beliefs and political views.
We hear the journeys of the people around us
and the wisdom of the ages.
You can have fun here -
no matter your age!
There are good times to enjoy,
songs to sing!
Together we'll speak up for equality and justice,
go out into the larger community
to serve and make friends,
loving our neighbors as we love ourselves,
being the change we want to see.
Each life is sacred.
A death by gun violence diminishes us all.
We want not to let this loss of life go unnoticed.
May your passions, your gifts, your ministry
that will help heal the world
be discovered here.
Join your strengths with the community.
There's so much more we can do when we work together.
We have more power, more influence than we know.
We are blessed to walk this beautiful piece of the earth.
So let's choose to green our homes, neighborhoods, and community.
Each act done in love helps connect us all-
within and beyond these walls.
Children here can become friends with children
in our partner church in Transylvania-
as pen pals or on visits made by children, youth,
and adults
or by sharing Transylvanian culture and traditions right in our own backyard.
Our children will grow up and may find life partners.
May their love and commitment be celebrated in weddings
in this community where all their life passages have been held.
Our children may be blessed with children of their own.
And may this congregation continue to bless this circle of life.
What we do together here furthers our human evolution.
as we grow to be more compassionate,
more hopeful, more courageous beings.
May the radiance of what we make together here be with you
through all your days.
So that when your days are done, you can give thanks.
You are part of something infinite and inexhaustible,
that began long before you, continues after you.
Your spirit will live on in this place
and in the people who follow,
in their voices, their hands, their hearts.
May that spirit of life and love radiate out,
gracing the whole world.
A new day is at hand,
a day when we become more compassionate,
more hopeful, more courageous beings.
Our Evolution is not complete.
We are becoming beings who can live in peace.
A new day is at hand,
a day of beloved intergenerational,
multicultural, multiracial community;
a day when all are fed and sheltered,
when all have health care, hope and purpose,
when every life has worth and dignity.
Your passion, your gifts help heal the world.
We have more power than we know.
Together, my friends, let us bring in the new day.