 Good morning, and welcome back to the first Unitarian Society of Madison. This is a community where curious seekers gather to explore spiritual, ethical, and social issues in an accepting and nurturing environment. Unitarian Universalism supports the freedom of conscience of each individual. As together, we seek to be a force for good in the world. My name is Karen Rose Gredler, and on behalf of the entire congregation, I would like to extend a special welcome to any visitors who are with us this morning. We are a welcoming congregation, so whoever you are and wherever you are on your own journey, we celebrate your presence among us. As we gather in this place and time, let us remember we are all visitors in this life. We come together to find meaning and hope with all the other visitors. Let us join our hearts and minds together as we celebrate this life together. Now please silence your cell phones as I invite you to join me in a few moments of silence. Your contemplation, meditation, prayer as we settle in and come fully into this time and place together. All the water in the world is all the water in the world. Water flows from the hose. It wobbles in the blue pools. It fills your cup. But where does it come from? The sea air licks it from the lakes, sips it from ponds, guzzles it for oceans. And this wet air swirls up till it's crowded into clouds, where it hangs hotly around till cool air bumps through. And honey, those clouds just let it go and rain, rain, rain. Back dance, avalanche, stampede of drips and drops and drumming, a wealth of water. But far away it's a different day. Not sound, but wind, empty cup again, dry grasses, rustle, dirt, just dirt. Everything waits for an open gate in a wall of clouds, for rain sweet and loud to fill the well and start of this dream. Honey, living things, dream of water for all to drink, use in tub or sink, wash in, splash in. This wet wonder means grow, means life will flow through tigers, through trees, through you and through me. Oh. Together now. All so precious, don't waste it. And delicious. We can taste it. Keep it clear, keep it clean, keep earth green. And we invite you now to rise in all the ways we do for our in-gathering hymn, number 163. For the earth, for ever, to rise for every seat and hills and for the sun. And if you will join me now in the words of affirmation found in your order of service as we light our chalice, 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 filled so that we may pour ourselves out into the world. And if you will take a moment now to turn and greet those around you. For almost 40 years now, congregations all over the world that our Unitarian Universalists have been holding services as we gather together after the summer, that honor and celebrate and give thanks for water and our connection both with it and with each other. And so we welcome you to our annual Water Communion service, this year combining our service with our in-gathering service. The common call to worship for an in-gathering service was written by Patricia Chatie and it begins, you and I and all of us blew about with the winds of summer. This morning, in a similar manner, each of us also submerged ourselves in the water of summer, each in accord with our own lives. And our in-gathering and our water ceremony this morning takes seriously that whatever your experience, that part of you that comes from that experience of the summer is what you bring to contribute to the community as we gather again. It may be that your waters of summer called you to some place sublime to bask in the ciberidic pleasures of exotic streams or rivers or oceans, or it may come from your morning shower as you work your way through the summer in school or office or field. Your summer may have brought life-giving water from the garden hose as you watered your vegetable garden or the reservoir of life as you waited into the water at the request of a beloved as their final wishes for where they wished for their ashes to be scattered. Summer may have brought you the anointment of dipping your foot in the Ganges or Lake Monona, but it may inspire new possibilities yet in this community. Moments exotic and ordinary, serene and difficult, all are the offerings that you bring as we gather together this morning. So today's communion honors all of those truths. All that we bring will bless this place with its wisdom, its reality, its connection to each other. Without water there is no life, and without its presence this place is less alive as well. So Laura and I once said that if there is to be magic to be found on this planet it is contained in water. This morning we will combine our flecks of magic to make new magic strengthened by the combining of all that we are. So in just a moment I will invite you to take part in our water ceremony. And every year there is some variation that we use, and this year we are inviting you to come up to small stations and gather in small groups to share your water and what it symbolizes with each other. In a moment I will invite different sections of the congregation and we'll start with the choir and with the folks up in our balcony to make their way to the front. And at each station there will be a member of our staff and we invite you to gather around the bowl and it probably will be at most three or four people at each of the stations. And as you each pour in your water I invite you to speak to each other about what that water symbolizes. That way that it was the essence of your summer. In a brief sentence and then make your way back to your seat. While you're waiting for there to be an opening in the groups you're invited to wait at the head of the aisle. Also because this space is so vibrant and alive we don't have to be perfectly quiet but I invite us to a spirit of shall we say joyful quietness so that it is possible for the folks who are gathered with each other to not have to scream at each other to share what the water symbolizes for them. May this be a time most of all for deep connection in a deep sense of what we bring to this time together. If all are welcome to be a part of this time if you happen to not have water with you you are welcome to use one of the water pitchers that we have is symbolic water. And so now as we move into place I invite our choir and let's say the folks on this side of the loft to make their way down the center aisle as we begin our water communion together. No note down here. Put our side over by the windows come on up and if there's anyone else who hasn't come up yet please come on up with these words bless this water we are many bless this water we are one spirit of life and love ever flowing throughout our community and our world shape us move us and guide us to find the courage and the wisdom to create a better way bless our hearts with loves welcoming embrace bless our minds with openness and curiosity may compassion flow through us like water and find a love within resounding strong may our gathering this morning be a blessing for one and all may it inspire us to a year of hope and love and courageous faith and may we walk that year in the full awareness as often as possible of the blessed ties that bind each to all bless this water we are many bless this water we are one I invite you to rise in all the ways that you do to sing number 1007 there's a river flowing in my soul and while we sing that children get to go to their first day of children's religious education there's a river flowing in my soul and in my soul it's tell body there's a river there's a river flowing in my heart there's a river in my mind no sooner suppose I slip suppose I lose balance and fall into the river suppose the log becomes unstable and shaky horseback you got this goat you go first can't I stop here and make this my new home hmm but I know deep inside that there are better places ahead I also know deep inside I cannot go back to the old place the old place really doesn't exist anymore is horse leaving us horse doesn't like us horse has found the best spot and wants to keep it for himself horse is scared step scared up it couldn't be that something they have accomplished with trouble the fast and brave and strong horse perhaps murmur mouse a monster works in the depths of the river and only horse knows horse let us almost die so for the next long time are you thinking yes what if I may ask are you thinking about the log the log what about the log horse why must the log be round on all sides Fox round it is horse I was thinking it would be better to make logs flat come if I could but I can't horse is scared horse cross in the other piece open their eyes as wide as possible we rent the most gleeful rent they realize we cannot pull horse we cannot push horse but we can keep in company and so all the animals big and small sure and awkward of foot or paw returned across the log they explained the land of horse and then they all like that we were seeing horse trickle went over and said quiet so only the horse here just pay attention horse to what is most important what's that beaver to keep going and so we have that there was a trail across the log and the horse was in the middle but holding this tail from behind and horse holding the goat's son on a tail in front slow and slower and pausing they marched until each and every animal crossed the log safely and that is from what I heard how it came to be that the animals were now in their new forests and have been there quite happy for some time and it goes to show you that there is always something along the most important journeys where fear is great and the best care for others helps us make it and perhaps we must also remember to pay attention to what's most important in celebration of course this accomplishment the choir will sing a joyful gospel number take me to the water so we begin another year and depending on how much change and newness you are willing to tolerate in your spirit we might think of each and every breath and each moment as an invitation into the new forest but certainly there are times in our lives both individually and as a community where we feel that journey into the new with particular power it is not uncommon for this time of September to herald a lot of that newness both in organizations and individuals perhaps for you this morning the new forest was simply getting yourself out of bed or maybe it is that you have begun a new job or you have moved to this new place or beginning new classes maybe it is some place in your life that is changed in loss or your health has changed and you are adjusting to the new normal and the thing is that in the story that we just told we each take our turn being one of those animals and sometimes we are actually even the river itself we are the rushing obstacle to each other but all of us at some point in our lives will be the horse it may be one day on the job when the change is just more than you can bear it may be here at FUS in a ministry team or one morning in worship when the change just pushes you too hard and what the story reminds me that is absolutely essential are two important parts of the covenant that hold us together because it is true that all of us will play all of those roles and all of them have some power and wisdom to them and all of us at times will be the fearful horse we would be wise to be very thoughtful about not leaving those who are stopped by their fear behind it is a wise and powerful community that takes a deep breath and steps back to be present with those that need a little extra time to sort through change the essence of who we are is that by taking that time we invite everyone more fully into the deeper truth at every given moment once the past is gone it is permanently behind us it is never something that we can reclaim but we can carry with us the most meaningful components of the past to speak to us and hold us still we may be present in the moment and in that time with each other we can offer patience and kindness and understanding but secondly the other part of the covenant is that because we each take our turn being the horse who is afraid and overwhelmed by the change we have to allow ourselves to be held by the community we have to take a deep breath and realize what is really true all we can do all that really helps the community be all that it can be is that each of us in our own way takes that step forward day after day month into month that is how we will make our way to pay attention to the people who need a little extra energy and to give it because ultimately it calls us all into the right space and into the true purpose of community and all of us in our lives will be pushed by the new and when that moment happens may we be held in the arms of love call from our deepest strength and wisdom and keep going there is much work to do this year as a community by the time we get to this time next year we will be fully in the midst of searching for the newest member of our clergy team this is a time for us to lean into each other's wisdom to discover who we are and to remind ourselves where we wish to go welcome to this new year welcome whoever you are whatever role you are playing this day may your spirit find a home here and now amen and blessed be each week we have the opportunity to consider and reflect upon the abundance in our lives and to give thanks for that abundance and share it with one another both our individual lives and our collective life this week's recipient of our outreach offering is Madison Rafa sister city project which is raising funds to build and install a new water filter in a Rafa school you can learn more about the project in the red floors insert or after service in the commons there is an information table the offering will now be gratefully given and joyously received thank you for all the ways you give as Karen said we appreciate all of your financial gifts to the beloved community today in addition to your generous financial stewardship we sincerely appreciate the volunteer work of those helping to make our services run smoothly this morning our greeter was Claire box our sound operator is Steve from our staff because no one signed up our ushers are Marty Hollis and Jay Roberts and Mary Savage who was pressed into service because we did not have enough ushers I don't have a lay minister signed up for this morning but there's several of us around if you should need anything coffee has largely fallen to Cheryl because we had a bit of a snafu but she's sure that there's enough to go around God forbid we not have coffee so be a little generous you know take only one until you see that everybody's had something please John McEvna is at the information and welcome table and our tour guide is John Powell who will be up here in this corner of the front of the auditorium for anyone who'd like to take a tour of our campus I do have one very special announcement which is that the welcome back an opportunity fair with food carts Friday September 13th from 4 to 7 p.m. will be right here at FUS mark your calendars for this family friendly evening of fellowship and food to celebrate the start of our 2019 2020 Wow can you believe it program year a new year means new opportunities to share your talents and time with FUS and we'll have information available about how you can get involved or change your involvement if you've been doing the same thing for a long time and you're tired of it we'll also have food carts available so you can purchase a meal and support local businesses and don't forget to pick up your copy of our updated guide to the you universe all are welcome and no registration is needed so please come and now our wonderful music director Drew has a special announcement well all your announcements were special to Karen thank you I just wanted to let you know that we've started a new music series here at FUS and it launched last night and the second performance of that program is this afternoon at 3 o'clock we have two artists in residence this year at FUS the encore a string quartet is back in residence with us and the Madison Bach musicians is also in residence with us this year today the encore string quartet is playing an all-Italian program it's a ticketed event and it's at 3 o'clock if you're interested in learning more about that event please see me if you're interested in the rest of the series more information will be forthcoming and also the first Friday noon musical which is our longest-running music series the first of those will be on the 27th of September and hope to see you there at high noon 12 o'clock and both of the events that I just mentioned are in the landmark thank you here mingled together in community are the shared gifts of our lives the waters we have gathered represent the promises and the aspirations that we make to one another may we now enter into a moment of shared quiet as we hold in our hearts all those who need our love and support in times of joy and challenge this week we celebrate with Anne Smiley as she welcomes her first grandchild Annika Devish or Smiley who was born on September 2nd and we join Leah Sinclair in sending our healing wishes to her roommate sister who's recently been in the hospital source of all who embraces and sustains life this water which we have collected and will share today holds the mystery and the miracle of love it has been blessed with this community may our own bodies filled with rivers of breath be blessed with life energy with wellness to carry us through our days may our home this blue green planet with its mountains and seas and ice caps be held in sacred keeping blessed through our stewardship and our care as we strive to bring our gifts to this beloved community and to our difficult beautiful world let us never doubt the strength of our hearts nor the depth of our love for this world and for each other blessed be and amen the time has almost come for us to leave this place but before we go we would like to invite you to come forward and take some of our mingled waters home with you take these waters with the recognition that our planet flows like a soft blue sapphire in the darkness of space because of water take these waters knowing that they are made of our loves and dreams adventures and sorrows hopes for a better future and prayers for today remember that due to the polluted state of our waters we must advise you to not drink it or mingle it with any of our lakes rivers or streams use it to water a favorite plant put it in your garden mingle it with watercolor paints and create beauty save it in a jar where you can see it and be reminded of these people and this place we do have containers here for you if you did not bring one with you today and i invite you to come forward while we rise in all the ways we do and join together in singing our closing hymn number 1064 blue boat home oh below me i feel ocean standing on these mountains and planes far away from the ocean still my dry land heart can say i've been sailing and the earth i block casting questions into the deep trips companions all we came from souls making our way by the lights of the heavens in our view thanks to the waves upholding me hail the great when surging me at sea before the sky my sailor song ocean i travel and the earth is my it starts with a drop then a trickle a burble a rush of water bubbling towards its destination and finally the wide endless sea all rivers run to the sea today you brought water poured into a common bowl through our experience as differed the water mingles and signifies our common humanity today you came and shared with this sacred community may you depart the sacred community hearts filled with hope for new beginnings a fresh start go forth but return to this community where rivers of tears may be shed where dry souls are watered where your joy bubbles where your life cup overflows where deep in your spirit you have found this place a home for all rivers run to the sea we extinguish this life but not the light of wisdom the warmth of love and compassion the fire of justice and our commitment to all that matters these remain until we gather in this space again i invite you to take your seat and receive one more gift of music this morning