 Alright, allow some support. We're early. We've been here for a long time. If my call is possible, if my call is accepted, I'll just hold it. With my insurance, I'm going to have to make $1 a regular venue place. But I don't want to fix it. That's part of it. That's part of it. Thank you. Please join in a moment of centralization. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please join in a moment of centering silence, so we can be fully present with each other this morning. Let's give musically present with each other by turning to the words for our in-gathering hymn, which you'll find inside your order of service. Welcome to First Unitarian Society's version of Super Sunday, or as we pack our fans, call it Passover. So welcome to First Unitarian Society, where independent thinkers gather in a safe, nurturing environment to explore issues of social, spiritual, and ethical significance as we try to make a difference in this world. I'm Steve Goldberg, a proud and fun-loving member of this congregation, and I'd like to extend a special welcome to any guests, visitors, or newcomers. If this is your first time at First Unitarian Society, I think you'll find it's a special place. And if you'd like to learn more about our special buildings, we'll be offering a guided tour after today's service. Just gather over here by the windows after the service, and we will take good care of you. Speaking of taking care of each other, this would be a perfect time to silence those pesky electronic devices that you absolutely, positively will not need at all for the next hour. And this goes for those of you watching at home. While you're doing that, if you're accompanied by a youngster today, let me remind you, if you think you and your young companion would rather experience the service from a more private space, we offer a couple options for you, including our child haven in the back corner of the auditorium, and some seating right outside the doorway in the commons, from which you can see and hear the service. And I think you all know one of the reasons we are able to see and hear the service is because we have a wonderful team of volunteers who make sure that the service runs smoothly. And I'd like to announce their names right now so that after the service you can give them a hug or a high five and thank them. Starting with Mark Schultz. Thank you, Mark, for operating the sound system. And Smiley, who is serving as our lay minister today. Janine Nussbaum, who greeted us with a wonderful smile as we arrived upstairs this morning. And we've got three ushers for this unruly crowd. They include Rich Balfas and Smiley and Doug Hill as our ushers. Gene Hills and a couple of helpers are handling the coffee and hospitality today. The flowers you see behind me were donated by Allison Mix in memory of her sister, Hathaway Brooks. And our tour guide today is Richard Miller. Just have two announcements before we continue with the service. The first announcement is kind of a program update. The music for today's offertory will be The Prelude in B Flat Minor by J.S. Bach, performed by our guest pianist, Alberto Pina. And the last announcement is the announcement of a number. And you get to tell me what you think the number represents. The number is 96. What does 96 represent? There you go. The number of days until Cabaret, May 12, Friday evening when this entire place will be turned into a wonderful party, the highlight of the FUS social calendar, 96 days from today, May 12. And with that, the only other thing for you to do is to sit back or lean forward to enjoy this morning's service. I know it will touch your heart, stir your spirits, and trigger one or two new thoughts. We're glad you're here. Ever on the brink of a new day, a new season in our lives, awaiting the further turning of the year on this day from shadow to light, gathered are we in quiet news to honor patients and the gathering of strength. Gathered are we that we might look inward to find that spark of the divine, that ember within that we might fan into flame, that it might in days to come grow to such size and strength that we must but share it with the world. Gathered are we in a community of love and trust that we might learn to find that same spark within others. Let us seek it now together. If you would please rise in body or in spirit and join in the words for our chalice light. The flame of our chalice this morning is a symbol of the warmth and brightness of our connections. The flame lights our way back together again from our separate lives. And it lights our way forward into a new time of promise and renewal. I invite you to turn and welcome your neighbors. When young or young at heart would like to share in a story, come on down to the front. You know there are times in my life when do any of you ever get afraid, afraid of monsters and bad guys? Who else gets afraid? Anybody? Yes? What kinds of things do you do to not feel afraid anymore? So we talk to people. So I heard one idea is to talk to other people about our fears. Any other ideas? What else do you do? Some of us have dream catchers to catch bad dreams. Well when I get scared, when I get afraid, I like to go outside. I like to take a walk. And I like to hear the birds singing and the sun on my face and the wind in my face. And I think of all the ways I'm connected to the world and to other people. It's just lovely to be alive. So this is a story about, kind of about that. It's called The Everything Seed. Let's listen. Have you ever watched a seed grow? Have you ever noticed how it begins so small, so still, so quiet, like a gift waiting to be opened and how slowly it wakes up, begins to unfold, growing into something larger and larger and larger? Then you know that whatever comes from a seed usually ends up looking very little like what the seed came from. It's also true of the very first seed. Once long, long ago, way before the beginning, so long ago there was no such thing as time because there was no one around to count it. Everywhere was a huge, deep, mysterious place like something waiting to happen. There were no stars, no sun or moon. There was no place like Earth, not a drop of water or a single tree or rock or flower and no living beings anywhere. But in that deep waiting space was hidden the tiniest point of something no bigger than a seed. It was not a flower seed. It was not an oak tree seed. It was not a seed of corn. Although all those things were included in that seed. You might call it an everything seed because that is what it became. No one knows where that first seed came from or how it was planted or how it knew in the way that only seeds seemed to know how long to wait for just the right moment to sprout and grow. But all at once this tiny seed cradled and nourished in the rich soil of space woke up, broke open and began to unfold. Unfolding, unfolding and blossoming for it. Into an enormous blazing ball of bright light like a great grandmother's son and the universe was born. Out fluttered the galaxies like a storm of snowflakes swirling and gathering into the brightest most blindingly beautiful clouds of stars. And out of those star clouds whirled our own star the one we call the sun and our earth and our moon and all the round spinning planets we have learned how to name and this is the secret of that tiny seed. You and I were there at the very beginning just as the idea for each leaf on a big oak tree lies hidden inside an acorn. We were there with all the stars and planets all the rocks and oceans, plants and animals and people. Everything that is now ever was or ever will be was in that first tiny seed. So whenever you hold a seed in your hand and wonder what it could become imagine how you and all that is here once came from the tiniest speck of an everything seed before it sprouted and grew long, long ago in the way back beginning of time. Now if this were an ordinary story it would end right here but this story of the universe keeps unfolding. What once began in a blazing blossom of light continues every day. New stars sprout open in the deep new stars sprout open in the deep soil of space. New plants and animals appear on the earth. Seeds of many kind are scattered everywhere to help us remember and new people are born every day with the spark of that first light still alive and burning deep inside waiting like the everything seed to shine in ways that are yet to be known. So that's what I think about when I'm afraid and I'm not afraid anymore. Thanks for sharing the story. Let's go to class. And are we back on? Yes we are. Our two readings one is a short poem by Karen Herring and the second is a longer story by Karen Solvig Anderson and the poem is this hidden in the heart of late autumn's barren fields is the ripening of seasons yet to come roots clinging to frozen ground wait patiently for their next long drink seeds fallen from last summer's blooms sleep beneath blankets of quilted leaves and feathered snow fruits of the future words unripened into speech truth present but unseen evidence yet to be awakened by the faithful unfolding of time and love and our story is called Eve's Muse describe Adam you say well he's kind of a wuss don't get me wrong though Adam's a nice guy he just adheres to rules a little too strictly take his conversation with God before I was created God tells my husband not to eat fruit from a tree in the center of the garden Adam unquestioningly goes along with the deal sure God I won't ever ever touch that tree's fruit cross my heart and hope to die that's Adam just hanging out and enjoying this paradise as he calls it well let me tell you paradise wasn't nirvana it was beautiful luscious lakes meandering rivers verdant trees prolific flowers stunning mountains but boring the Garden of Eden lost its appeal pretty quickly it was nice not to have to work it was nice essentially to have God wait on you hand and foot food was abundant scenery ever wonderful 70 degree days a light shower in the afternoon and then back to perfect but when you have you ever longed for something because life felt like a matzah cracker dry and thin have you ever wanted something because you knew it would add spontaneity diversity and just plain change to your life I did life sat pathetically before me on a silver platter I didn't have to work struggle worry engage or contemplate life was supposedly perfect and I was bored personally I think God was bored too why else set up something to tempt so blatantly God also knew me he knew I couldn't be stopped he saw me bored out of my mind in that garden Adam and I used to sit idly around waiting for something to happen anything to happen I fell to twiddling my thumbs Adam used to ask is that all you know how to do and I'd tell him no I can go the other way too I'd tell him let's see it got to the point where death didn't seem like such a bad alternative to boredom at least monotony would have a good run for its money enter the snake smooth voice pleasant serpent smile a reptile that made sense the snake reminded me that it was God who told Adam not to eat the apple I was getting my information second hand remember the snake reminded me Adam would rather stay in this so-called paradise with the same day day after day than to risk or challenge or imagine or venture anything it was then that I looked into those snake's eyes and I saw my life in great big capital letters the irises of that snake read boring I saw myself and myself saw me it was then that I knew that I had to taste that apple so I did I took a bite of that tart Christmas and all felt different my body changed I felt the sores on my feet I felt life surge in my belly my mind expanded and my vision cleared for the first time I felt whole the spirit of life and love had consumed me I felt wholly alive full of the spirit of God I went to find Adam I tried to explain how I felt he just looked at me in horror and amazement yet he kept asking me what it felt like all I could think to say was I'm truly human Adam I feel more like me than ever before I cajoled, argued and finally just gave up I shoved the apple into his taut mouth he reluctantly took a bite it was later that he told God it was all my fault now here's the part of the story that I must confess needs correcting I didn't blame the snake for my transgressions I fasted up and admitted I had eaten the apple I said in a proud unwavering voice to God I am glad to be human I can spurtle with rage shake with despair and bubble in ecstasy everything is not perfect but it is real, alive I feel sorry for you God for you everything is perfect always going your way do you ever get bored? want to be alive like me? well then God got mad he cursed us both he said that I would scream out in pain during childbirth that I would regret the day I was born but I must say I never expected anything different after watching the animals in the garden give birth they too suffered pain yet had such a magnificent way to appreciate the outcome we listened to the end of his tirade and Adam just plopped down there looking out at everything he felt he had lost I picked up the apple and went to the gate I stood there for a while leaning against that cold wrought iron throwing the apple up and down up and down up and down I stood enjoying the rhythm of that apple slap into my hand followed by silence as the air embraced it for a brief moment then slap then rest then slap I looked out over the vast expanse of that wilderness thinking about a song I had heard you can make the world your apple take a bite before it sours you can make the world your charm or your chain I knew it lay before me my life my opportunity my humanness and I said out loud in a clear voice I'm so glad I'm human thank you so much it's so easy to be upstaged by a child it's hard to know anymore but we might hear about when we turn on the news today given non-stop news reports about the state of our republic and its drift toward intolerance and fascism my fears for our children's future continue to grow my guess is that you might have some fears too our country's new administration appears to have set the agenda and the tempo for us already many of us are breathless and it is at such times as this that I remember that there is very little I won't do on behalf of our children for example I will wear a fishnet bag on my head because it amuses I will roll down a hill to share with a toddler the joys of spontaneity I will welcome reptiles into my home in the interest of science but papa it's educational more seriously I will testify at public hearings I will become a plaintiff in a lawsuit to help secure the separation of church and state I will drive for hours to intervene when someone expresses suicidal thoughts I will march for civil rights with thousands of others in the bitter cold of Wisconsin now I have known fear before as we all have in 2009 the year my child started college I was afraid when I was laid off from work I had been overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for loved ones and I had begun making mistakes at the office I needed some downtime and I guess you could say I got it just not the way I had hoped I spent the next few months taking care of personal business putting safeguards in place for my loved ones and at the same time appreciating some time at home to put my fears in perspective thankfully and with more satisfaction than I like to admit the boss who fired me was her self let go and I was rehired the English poet William Wordsworth wrote the world is too much with us late and soon getting and spending we lay waste our powers such was the case for me in 2009 and so it is for many of us today when we over commit ourselves or are burdened by forces outside our control we can feel that the world is too much with us and we lay waste our powers we can organize, we can march we can engage in civil resistance in many ways we can do so much work for good and still we may feel anxious, weary or isolated these are natural human feelings but I think you might agree they should not become an everyday occurrence our muscles evolved not to flex constantly but to flex and relax flex and relax we human beings must stop every now and then to refuel and we must do that before we run out of gas at times such as we see today it can feel as if we are in a fight for survival as too many of our brothers and sisters are everyday and author Lawrence Gonzalez offers this caution in his book, Deep Survival once fatigue sets in it is almost impossible to recover from it under survival conditions it is not just a matter of being tired it is more like a spiritual collapse and recovery requires more than food and rest it may take weeks to recover and if you are not taking care of yourself physical and psychological factors rapidly erode each other which is why it is so important to pace yourself rest frequently and stay hydrated good idea as I mentioned in introducing today's story I find solace in nature if I communed with nature more regularly it could be for me a spiritual practice but sometimes when I grow anxious I can't see the forest for the trees I develop tunnel vision and I ignore the wind and sun on my face at times I have responded to stress and anxiety by escaping into unhealthy isolating and self-indulgent habits around food and binging on TV movies games and social media please tell me I'm not alone in that thank you what I really need at those times is literally to have been grounding myself in the here and now in the real natural world to get some exercise and to affirm my connections by serving and supporting other people with nature's rhythms and cycles it is not hard to see that unrestrained activity is not sustainable plants and animals have evolved to take breaks in their growth cycles now and then here in the north winter dormancy is a perfect example when physical activity in plants and animals slows or stops entirely lowered metabolic activity helps organisms conserve energy and survive unfavorable conditions in the case of many reptiles a period of dormancy at low temperature is necessary for reproduction brumation as it is called is one of the things one learns about by having reptiles in one's home between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day we would put our corn snakes out in the front hallway at 55 degrees so that they would come out of it ready to breed successfully it was a lesson in animal husbandry for the whole family my daughter's passion and led to a degree in work and work in biology please do not send me emails saying that I suggested dormancy or brumation as a family planning tool we are not reptiles what I am saying is that fundamental things do apply as time goes by as active as we must be in the fight against oppression and injustice we like plants and the other animals must periodically conserve and renew our energy in the face of unfavorable conditions and I am not suggesting that we should collectively abandon the fight quite the contrary but every archer must refill their quiver every now and then even the super bowl has a half time so that players and officials can catch their breath I know about you but I have found it challenging sometimes to press the pause button on life it's so easy to let the calendar and the clock rule our lives there are so many things we want to do or have to do so many things that need to be done working and putting food on the table studying, cleaning, provisioning meeting family obligations and responsibilities writing letters phone calls showing up and supporting others it can be difficult to observe the Sabbath to take a sabbatical or plan regular periods of rest and renewal sometimes we are forced by illness or injury of ourselves or of loved ones to take some time to heal sometimes we must delegate tasks or ask for help sometimes we can have time for self-care sometimes when we transgress rules of behavior or the law we are forced by a time out by detention or by incarceration to pause and reflect on our actions so that we may come to understand them from a new or greater perspective sometimes in creative endeavors we must simply sit and wait for our muse to speak and sometimes when we engage in spiritual practice seeking inner peace we reconnect with our core values or are reminded of why we care enough to act at this point on the wheel of the year some earth-centered traditions celebrate imbalc the midpoint of the dark half of the year for them the time has come to bless the seeds and consecrate agricultural tools it is the festival of the maiden and from now until March 21st it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal for many gardeners now is the time when mailboxes fill with seed catalogs and seeds are started for spring planting my wife will tell you that some people are so eager for planting that they start way too early with way too many seeds but it is in such earth-centered traditions that we may find some wisdom and philosophical, spiritual or religious institutions have for centuries provided communities and methods by which to cultivate and maintain seeds of another kind courage, connection, restoration such traditions have been called on to help heal the broken to help mend damaged psychies and relationships by reframing narratives in moral language and values and in the process of pausing to connect our experiences with our values we may find the opportunity to catch our breath we may find respite, integration and inspiration my wife Ellen and I met in a choir while in college where we learned how important it is to breathe while singing if you don't breathe in you can't sing out and in the years since then when either or both of us have experienced difficult times one of the first things we tell each other is remember to breathe when I am weary or afraid and I sometimes want to shout Calgon take me away at such times I try to remember to breathe and to get outside take a walk I try to look up at the sky or the stars to remind myself of how amazing it is just to be alive to remind myself of all the connections I have with other people and all things today and in Eon's past when the world is too much with us when the stresses of life overcome our abilities to cope it is wise to honor these connections to help us find meaning put things in perspective and develop greater resilience yes, we need to pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living yes, we need to love the hell out of the world but as we struggle to hold things together as we wrestle with the ambitions needs and insecurities of our species as we resist the headlong tumble into an era of oppression and cruelty we must remember to breathe let us pause to honor this time when fields lie fallow seeds lie dormant and animals of the north take refuge let us consider the miracle of our existence in this brief moment in time and in this miniscule place in the universe we are the promised kiss of spring the seven principles of unitarian universalism are based on many sources of wisdom and truth the first of these is the direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder affirmed in all cultures which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create an uphold life and our seventh principle is respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part long before our principles were codified just 30 years ago both unitarians and universalists affirmed transcendental truths and universal kinship of humanity our religious forebears frequently challenged the prevailing order of things forced people to re-examine their assumptions of life, religion, and society a contemporary example of this is the question posed recently by Valerie Kaur a Sikh interfaith leader activist civil rights lawyer filmmaker and educator what if this darkness isn't the darkness of the tomb but the darkness of the womb then co-on or the riddle of a court jester her words interrupt and reframe our anxieties she reminds us that conflict need not be seen only as a means of death and destruction but may hold opportunity as a means of new life and new growth the process of birth as most of us know is rarely without pain but over the eons we have evolved to endure strenuous labor and because we are social creatures we need not experience the ups and downs of life alone one of the primary reasons we gather as a community is to support one another in our search for truth and meaning we may find refuge among those with whom we share the warm and bright connections to our faith as in a professional wrestling match we may tag in and out of the fight and when we feel disoriented, confused or lost Unitarian universalism can help point us in the right direction these are such complex and dynamic times it's hard to imagine that anyone could be bored but if it does happen we can take wisdom from our second reading Eve's Muse we may never get back to Eden and we may never reach Nirvana when things come too easily for us life can feel dry and thin we need spontaneity, diversity and change in our lives and we have far better things to do than twiddle our thumbs better to be like Eve than like Adam better to risk or challenge or imagine or venture something than to sit and let life pass us by better to be wholly alive I am glad to be human I can spurtle with rage shake with despair and bubble in ecstasy everything is not perfect but we are alive opportunity and humanness and life lie before us let us be grateful and say out loud I am so glad to be human thank you in times such as this times of unrest, of challenge to our values and those of our nation as each of us considers what we might do on behalf of our children we must also allow ourselves the freedom to pause and to breathe we pause to sing of darkness quiet and calm easing our minds darkness soothing our weary eyes so that we might see clearly once again darkness comforting our hearts and allowing peace to flow through us we pause to sing of a still small voice within to sing of tranquility of eternal love and of hope for that is the power of dormancy hope the promise of things to come we hearken to the words of Karen Herring in our first reading that hidden in the heart of barren fields is the ripening of seasons yet to come that seeds from last summer's blooms sleep beneath the leaves and snow fruits of the future words unripened into speech truth present but unseen evidence yet to be awakened by the faithful unfolding of time and love unfolding like the everything seed the source of all life that connects us to all things so when the world is too much with us let us not lay waste our powers at such a time as this on the brink of a new season in our lives let us remember to pace ourselves rest frequently and stay hydrated let us hold fast to the faithful unfolding of time and love let us acknowledge the ineffable mystery and have faith that there is more love somewhere let us remember our deep connection with all that is and be ever grateful for the chance to be alive may we also look inward to find that spark of the divine burning deep inside waiting to shine in ways that are yet to be known may we fan it into flame that it might grow to such size and strength that we must but share it with the world may it light our way forward into a new time of promise and renewal when we will look into the eyes and hearts of others and see there that same spark within so may it be Unitarian Universalism is a grand vision of a world filled with peace and justice, love and joy that vision is embodied in a few large congregations numerous mid-sized congregations and many many small congregations no matter its size, every congregation depends on each of its members each one of you by your commitment of time, energy and resources helps make that grand vision real individually and together we are Unitarian Universalists building a world filled with peace and justice love and joy will now have our offering we join together each week a community who gathers with joys and sorrows written on our hearts in this place we love and are loved we forgive and are forgiven we give and we receive in return we come together to find strength and common purpose turning our minds and hearts toward one another seeking to bring into our circle of concern the people who need our love and support this week we remember Carol Thomas' mother Fern van Hoeden who died on January 22nd at age 95 we remember Lorna Aronson's brother Ralph and we wish for him healing thoughts and steady hands for his surgeons as he undergoes surgery to remove his larynx when Lorna asked him if that meant no more duets he said that since neither of them can carry a tune that may be the upside but she will miss his voice and is grateful for his spirit we are reminded by Gail Bliss that there was a death at one of the homeless shelters last night and she asks for extra thoughts and prayers for all those in the homeless community and we have one other request that may all those who are seeking refuge in our world feel the welcoming love of our congregation and find the sanctuary they seek and with these we remember all the joys and the sorrows too tender to share that live in the fullness of our hearts may we take a moment of silence and may we remember that we are part of a web of life that makes us one with all humanity one with all the universe may we be grateful for the miracle of life that we share and the hope that gives us the power to care to remember and to love I invite you to rise in body or in spirit for our closing hymn number 331 please be seated our closing words today are by Bruce Southworth in our hungering for meaning in our aching for friendship in our yearning for justice in our hearts remembering of finer days may we look deep within the mystery of things and gather our strength may each of us proclaim as one of God's spies the graceful power of life and love may we live in hope