 I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that organic musical introduction is our way of saying good morning and welcome to another wonderful Sunday here at 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, unimpeachable member of this congregation, and I extend a very special welcome to any guests, visitors, or newcomers. If this is your first time at First Unitarian Society, I think you'll find that it's a very special place, and we welcome you to join us at our fellowship hour right after the service. Speaking of the service, this would be a perfect time to silence your pesky electronic devices, and yes, this is the oldest blackberry in captivity. And if you silence those pesky electronic devices, you'll be able to enjoy today's service, which I know will touch your heart, stir your spirit, and trigger one or two new thoughts. We're really glad that you're here, and now we'd like to invite you to join in a moment of centering silence so we can be fully present with each other this morning. Come, let us enter this space of hope and community. Come, let us enter this space with our sorrows, our joys, our passion, and compassion. Come, let us enter this space with the stories of our ancestors, for their strength and wisdom beats in our hearts. Come into this space, present to the beloved companions who move beside us. And come into this space, mindful that together we are building a future for other generations. Come, come into this space and let us worship. We'll begin by singing together hymn number 126, come thou font of every blessing. I invite you to stand in all the ways that we do. Invite you to turn to the words printed in your order of service that we get to say together. Next together we say, let us remember that we are doing the work of the congregation. When we do the work of this congregation, we touch lives. When we touch lives, we change the world. May this chalice flame we now kindle remind us of our ministry and our mission. I invite you to turn and introduce yourselves to your neighbors, young and young at heart, to come forward for a story. Well, this is really, it's kind of an action-packed service. We have a wonder box that we'll explore in a few minutes, but I think we'll understand it better if we first share a story. Karen, would you share this lovely story you brought to us? Sure. It's called Yaffa and Fatima, Shalom Salaam, in a beautiful land called the Land of Milk and Honey. There lived two neighbors, one was named Yaffa and the other was named Fatima. Yaffa and Fatima each owned a beautiful date grove. During the weeks, they both worked very hard gathering their dates. On most days, Yaffa and Fatima sold all their dates at the market and were able to buy plenty of tasty food to eat, which they often shared. Yaffa loved Fatima's shawarma and Fatima loved Yaffa's schnitzel. So Yaffa prayed in a synagogue and Fatima prayed in a mosque. They both loved God and they both loved to follow God's way. And you'll see them doing different things, but they're definitely both helping people. Yaffa would read from her sudur in the morning and Fatima would read from her Quran in the morning. Yaffa fasted on Yom Kippur and Fatima fasted during Ramadan. Do you know what fasted means? It means that you don't eat for a certain amount of time. I know, it's something different. It's a way to pray in some traditions. Fatima celebrated Eid and Yaffa celebrated Passover. When Yaffa saw Fatima, she would wave and call shalom, peace. Can you say shalom? Shalom. When Yaffa saw Fatima, when Fatima saw Yaffa, she would wave and call salam, peace. Can you say salam? Salam is another word for peace. It means peace. Yeah, it means peace. One year there was very little rain. Fatima and Yaffa had very few dates to eat or to sell at the market. Yaffa lay awake at night. She was worried. Maybe Fatima is hungry, thought Yaffa. Fatima lay awake at night. She was worried. Perhaps Yaffa didn't have enough to eat today, thought Fatima. So Fatima placed a basket of dates on her donkey. Then she took them to Yaffa's house. She poured the dates into a basket on Yaffa's porch. Meanwhile, Yaffa collected a basket of dates, placed it on her donkey, and carried it to Fatima's house. She poured the dates into a basket on Fatima's porch. What? The two neighbors quietly made their way back home, feeling happy. In the morning, when Yaffa walked onto her porch, to her great surprise, she saw her basket full of dates. Goodness, I have so many dates. I will take more to Fatima tonight. Meanwhile, Fatima walked out onto her porch and was just as surprised. Goodness, I have more dates than I thought. I will take some more to Yaffa tonight. That night, both Yaffa and Fatima took their donkeys with dates and set off towards each other's house. They met just where their fields came together. Fatima looked at Yaffa, and Yaffa looked at Fatima. The two friends hugged each other, and they laughed. Shalom, said Yaffa. Shalom, said Fatima. Thank you for thinking of me, said Yaffa. Thank you for thinking of me, said Fatima. Together, they returned to Yaffa's house to share a meal of dates and tea. That is such a cool story. I love it. It seems like Yaffa and Fatima were good neighbors and good friends to each other. And you know what, Doug? I think that these kids are good neighbors, too. And good friends as well. They're good friends and neighbors with each other and with us. Even though we're grownups. Exactly. And I wonder if something in this Wonder Box has something to do with that. Let's check it. Let's find out what do you think might be in here? A stuffy? A stuffy no. Let's see. Okay, sometimes comes. Pinky would be pretty cramped in here, but even more exciting, bookmarks. I know you're there. Bookmarks, which, after today, will live in the gray hymnals that we use every weekend. And these bookmarks are extra special because we borrowed this idea from other congregations who wanted to help us be more neighborly to people who come here, and in particular to you and other young families. And so these bookmarks give some suggestions about how to be more like good neighbors to each other by how we act together and for families some ways that they can feel more welcome while they're here as well. So I wonder, Karen, if you could help me by reading through some of these things so that we think about some of the ways that we could be better neighbors to each other. Sure. The first thing says welcome children and give them a smile of encouragement. Perfect, yes. Welcome, welcome. This one's important for me. That's for sure. Be patient with noises and movement. I have a lot of both, so that really comes in handy. Teach our children with positive messages and kind, caring words. Learn the names of our children. Thank children for being part of our community. Offer to hold a crying baby. Know where the activity materials are and feel free to offer them to children. And it says, finally, remember that the way that we welcome children in our congregation directly affects the way that they feel about worship and this community. And so by doing some of these things, we can let you know that this is your home and that you are not only welcome, but this is your place as well. You are a gift to our community and we're so glad you're here. So these are some great suggestions, Doug. How about we do the blessing now before they go off to class? Right, and so when we bless it, I mean these bookmarks are perfectly wonderful the way they are, but our blessing means that we understand how important this is and that we support what these bookmarks ask us to do. And so may these bookmarks be a reminder of what we really value in our community, where people of every age help make this place warm and welcoming. So if you agree with this wish and these promises to each other, may we together please say we do. We do. Perfect, wonderful. Thank you all for being part of our FUS community, and I'm going to invite you to go to class now, and we get to sing them to class with hymn number 146. Soon the day will arrive. Thanks, everyone. You are welcome to stand in all the ways that we do. Soon the day will arrive When we will be together at no long And the children will smile Without wondering whether on this day Thunder clouds will appear And see, wait and see What a world there can be If we share, if we care you and me Wait and see, wait and see What a world there can be If we share, if we care Some have dreams, some have died To make up right tomorrow And our vision remains in our heart Now the torch must be passed with new hope Not in sorrow and a promise To make a new star We share you and me Maybe seated. And she writes, the first time I saw the phrase Oriented times three, I was working in a hospital As a chaplain. The phrase was used frequently in patient charts And at first I thought it might be shorthand For an extremely oriented patient Like being oriented to the third power Or being uber-oriented. I imagined a patient who was very aware on many levels Sharp, quick, responsive, cognizant Of what was going on inside her and around her A nurse then explained to me that the phrase Referred to being oriented to person, place and time A determination commonly made by asking patients What is your name? Do you know where you are? Do you know what day it is? I began to wonder if we might ask similar questions To determine if a person is oriented spiritually Well, would it mean to be spiritually oriented Times three? And what questions might we ask To determine that? What is your name? Do you know who you are? Do you know whose you are? Do you know where you are? What is your place in the world, in your life, In your relationships? What day is it today? What time is it in your life? What is it time for? What are you living for today, tomorrow? What have you been living for? These are not unrelated to other questions I ask all the time in hospital rooms In the pulpit on Sunday And in long nights when I am alone What do I believe? Where do I belong? And what does it all mean? Certainly I know the questions better than the answers But I also know this We all have spiritual compasses inside of us That help us to arrive at our own answers Sometimes we can read our compasses more easily than others But we all have something that spins toward north And in our tug toward the holy And in those times when our compass is impossible to find Or read, or when it points in a direction we don't want to go We can turn to one another Or to maps that help us get oriented Or to constellations that guide us to where we are headed Perhaps this is what it means to be spiritually oriented times three Oriented to self, oriented to others And oriented to the holy Perhaps this is what we are doing here together Reading our compasses Finding our way in a universe of shining stars And making new maps to help each other Here ends the reading Together for a few minutes about the next question In the ongoing process of thinking about the Missional identity of this congregation The deeper sense of who we are And what we are called to do in the world And it makes sense, I think, to turn to some experts That really have done this work over and over again Gil Rendell and Alice Mann Who actually wrote the original sort of process And questions that not only are we using But hundreds of congregations have used time and time again To rethink who they are and what they're called to do And they remind us that congregations are born From the spark of the interaction between their faith tradition And a particular context That is the story of this congregation Is linked to the political, the economic The social and spiritual dynamics Of this particular place in time And as the time changes While we hope some of the foundational truths May not change The realities that are powerful In what is true in this community In this time should change how we understand ourselves And how we want to respond to the world around us So in order to answer whom we serve We are always called to be situated in this time In this place as it really is now And that requires us to do some extra thinking And exploring of what is true both within this space But also outside in the larger community around us And they say that doing this work on a regular basis As a congregation is a vital discipline In grouting yourself in who you are and where you are And that sense of place and context Has at least two important levels when we ask that question The first level begins with the closest context Within this congregation in and of itself And the question whom do we serve is meant to ask us Who do we intend to attract to this congregation Who do we wish to be part of the congregation Is there a particular focus or demographic Or ministry of invitation that we want to extend And the truth is many, many Unitarian Universalist congregations Maybe most of them and most congregations Around the United States really minister to the people Who walk through their doors as their vision But even that more open calling Asks a lot in how we do what we do together How it needs to be something that we explore Over and over again who is coming through our door What are they asking of us What is their life, what is their context Outside of this place So just the ongoing exploration of who Do we want to be as a community And who do we want to invite and help feel welcome Is important But it's also important to get outside of this space And actually out into the community And talk with community organizations An important part of every interim process Is to find a variety of ways to get you As a congregation out there And with an open mind and heart And hear what is going on in Madison and beyond And so right now in the last couple of months Members of the transition team have been brainstorming A long list of community organizations From academic organizations to social justice organizations To arts organizations or other communities of faith And they're going to ask them questions And inviting members of the congregation to go with them To hear what they're doing in the community What they believe is most important And most compelling right now And what future partnerships might look like This important work really helps us understand ourselves better And what I love about it is that it moves us Really in the direction of what was the original question That our two consultants posed when they began this work They changed the way they asked the question Because they began to work with so many different communities That did not necessarily find the original version An easy one to work with But what they used to ask is who is your neighbor And I believe that question is very compelling I agree, it is very compelling And I've been thinking about it a lot I'd love to think about who is our neighbor Of course, the story that we shared with the children this morning Is exactly an example of who is our neighbor We had Yaffa and Fatima They lived right next to each other And that reminded me of a sense of proximity Like neighbors or people we are in contact with And then they also got to know each other Just because they live next to each other Doesn't mean they're relating or in relationship But they did share bread or share meals together And get to know one another And then finally, the third kind of ingredient Of a good neighbor as I was reflecting on this book Was this openness to being changed So their relationship, their proximity Made them worry about each other Are they, is Yaffa getting enough to eat Is Fatima hungry? And they did something, they took action And this sort of neighbor made me think of my own neighbors I'm really pleased to live in a neighborhood Where I live right next door to someone named Lynn Who for the last 20 years We have been sharing our yards with our dogs Our children grew up together She's the kind of neighbor who snow blows At the end of my driveway when there's rocks there Made of snow in the middle of winter And the shovel just is not going to cut it And I'm the sort of neighbor who loves to share my produce My abundance of produce, especially the zucchini That comes up Well, a year and a little bit more ago It was the end of the summer last year And there was a historic flood happening in Madison The lakes were very high And the Yajara River, about five blocks from where I live Was overflowing its banks And we were looking at the weather forecast Unsure if we were going to have to evacuate or not And at that same time Lynn was recovering from a hip replacement surgery And using a cane to get around So one morning I got a knock on the door And I was in no mood to answer the door I wasn't expecting anyone, I was the only one home I just ignored it But then of course I did peek out And noticed there was a big pickup truck in Lynn's driveway It was full of sandbags Apparently my wife had ordered some sandbags From the volunteers of the city And they had arrived Of course I went out and helped And we got sandbags around our foundation And by our windows, our basement windows And then I thought, oh, I wonder if Lynn needs some So I checked in with her and she agreed Sure, that would be great So with the two volunteers and I We were able to get some sandbags down into her basement And also around the foundation of her house And what struck me though Is that she was moved by my offering To help put sandbags around her house And as I reflect on it I'm realizing that if we hadn't been In proximity with one another and so close And if we hadn't had that relationship Over time where we were sharing with one another We might not have thought to offer And because of that proximity And because of that relationship We were open to being changed She was so grateful that I saw tears Well up in her eyes And that made me more sensitive To the vulnerability she was feeling at that time Not knowing how she was going to move around Let alone evacuate if we needed to So I was changed by her willingness To be open with me as well And in that way we have made a difference In each other's lives Your story really is on point Actually with the original question In its context in a very meaningful way And the original story takes that idea Of neighbor into a much deeper And sort of globally religious idea And the original question Who is our neighbor at least in this context Comes from the parable of the Good Samaritan In the Gospel according to Luke And in that context We nowadays think of the Good Samaritan As just a way that Samaritan is someone Who does good stuff and does the right thing But there's a particular context That's especially meaningful Jesus had been talking about What it means to be a neighbor And there was someone in the audience Who was an expert on liturgical And religious law And was actually sort of curious If he could trip up Jesus And get him to say something That would discredit him And so he asked with a particular agenda In mind who is my neighbor And the way Jesus answered it Was very intentional Because Jesus knew his audience And in that time and in that place Samaritan would have been regarded Because of cultural and racial tensions As a lesser person In between those two cultures And often someone understood as being suspect And so in the story When people who are religiously devout And highly learned See someone who is suffering And just walk by without doing anything And it is in this version of the story That the audience would regard as less than That pays attention and sees What is really happening There's a real extra message there That it doesn't really matter What you espouse And what it is that you're learning And your thinking brings If it doesn't change the way you act And if it doesn't change your heart And your mind And makes you vulnerable to the truth Of the other person in the world around you That's what matters most in our work And so it takes me back to that idea That in this time we are thinking About where we should go together And what we should do And what this congregation is about And I think about the quote that we read From Reverend Herring And how she talks about With each of us that we have Spiritual compasses inside us That help us to arrive at our own answers But sometimes it is hard for us To read those compasses But she reminds us We all have something that spins toward north An inner tug toward the holy That in the midst of this We are called to remember That we are also looking For how this relationship, this proximity This vulnerability leads us To something deeper and more holy In ourselves and each other I've been enjoying reflecting on Reverend Herring's words as well And that pull back to the holy And her desire to have us Be spiritually oriented times three Got me thinking about the parallel Between our individual lives Of being spiritually oriented times three And our congregational life Of being spiritually oriented times three So as individuals Yes, we get to be in right relationship With ourselves and with other folks And then with that which is most sacred But we also as a congregation Have been thinking about Being spiritually oriented times three as well Because a couple of weeks ago Reverend Kelly asked us the question Who do we choose to be? That's kind of related to being oriented to person It's our collective identity though Who do we know who we are? Do we know who's we are? These are key questions for Unitarian Universalists As well as for people involved At First Unitarian Society And then this week We're being oriented to place That second question Of being a neighbor in this world To being in proximity and in relationship And being open to being changed Do we know where we are? What would it mean, for example, if we thought about What does it mean to be a neighbor For the Ronald McDonald House? What does it mean to be a neighbor For the Veterans Hospital? What does it mean to be a neighbor For the University? And then next week Here's a little preview We're going to talk about being oriented to time So what time is it in the life of this congregation? What is it time for? What are we living for? Given who we are And where we are What are we being called forth to do next? And I have to say Even though I haven't been here that long I remember a time when First Unitarian Society Answered that call Because just last October There was that mass shooting in Pittsburgh At the Tree of Life synagogue And it left 11 people dead There was a lot of fear at that time A lot of grief A lot of shock And there was one thing that The Jewish community of Madison knew And they knew that they needed to gather together Unfortunately, they didn't feel safe Gathering in their own synagogue And so it was Rabbi Laurie Who approached the ministers of First Unitarian Society And asked about using this space Now Rabbi Laurie is the rabbi Of the career of congregation Shireh Shamim And that's the congregation that has been Worshiping in this space For over a decade now And because of that relationship she has with us And the proximity we have She felt comfortable asking for help And I have to say that the very next day After that shooting There was an interfaith gathering And if any of you were here You know that the Every single chair was filled And people were overflowing into the commons And the balcony was packed And the hallways were brimming with people And the staircase just had people everywhere And as someone who attended I was opening myself up to that change That relationship was having on me I felt more clearly and more deeply The fear of living in violence In our current world And I also felt more deeply the hope That coming together can do for us And that was a really remarkable moment In the time of this congregation I feel like So it seems to me that when we embody This opportunity to be good neighbors Then we take action And we are opening ourselves up To being transformed by those relationships And those actions And so my hope for all of us today Is that we remain open to that transformation That can be present in our lives Both today and in the weeks ahead Blessed be and amen Thank you, Carl As we move into the time Of the giving and receiving of our offering It is appropriate to be reminded That 50% of our offering today Will go to the Wisconsin Council For the blind and visually impaired You can read more about their important work In the red floors A chance for us to connect more with the community And as we move into the time of offering The choir will sing a text in Latin That is one of the classic texts of the church That is appropriate for this time as well Ubi Caritas, the translation is Where charity and love are, their God is The love of the prophet gathers us into one Let us exalt and be joyful Let us fear and let us love the living God And from a sincere heart Let us love one another Amen Well, this morning has been full of generosity Generosity of music Generosity has been the message And certainly your generosity For our offering is very much appreciated A little reminder about next weekend's offering Will involve canned food drive So get ready to bring canned foods And other non-perishables For next week's offering Speaking of generosity, we're grateful For the generosity of those neighbors Who have volunteered to help make the service Run smoothly this morning Starting with our greeter, Abigail Musselman That was the smiling face that greeted you As you arrived today The ushers have included Diana Rodham McLahoon, Mark Hill and Dorit Bergen The hospitality and coffee are being Provided in the kitchen by Jean Hills And I think she has some other helpers with her Make sure you thank them Include them in your will And the information table is going to be Staffed by Karen Rose Gredler We thank all of those people for their generosity Of volunteer support for the service Couple announcements Art in the right place, our big art fair Is going to be held next weekend And we're very grateful for the 70 members Of this congregation who have volunteered To make that gigantic art fair run smoothly It's a sign of our collective generosity Speaking of things collective A parking bulletin to you The 11 o'clock service attendees Might find parking a little bit challenging So I'm not lobbying for you to come to the 9 o'clock But there will be a parking challenge With regard to art in the right place Because of its popularity in the community And with our neighbors And the last announcement concerns The message of generosity You may have noticed this insert In your red floors bulletin And many of you received this in the mail recently We thank you for helping us close the gap In supporting the operating budget of FUS We still have a little ways to go But because of you and thanks to you We've whittled that gap down from 120,000 To 103,000 dollars in a relatively short period of time We still have time before the end of the year To close that gap completely And the way to do that is through, of course Our generosity and being good neighbors With each other and with the larger community So if we want to deliver on the promise That Karen made to the kids during the message For all ages, remember what she said? She said, this is your place So in order for this to be their place Our generosity now will help build the financial Stability to make that happen And you can see how excited the kids were When they heard that this was their place Cool So on December 8th Right after the 11 o'clock service There will be a workshop on generosity Giving us a chance as a parish To figure out other ways, additional ways That we can be generous with each other And to each other And steps that we can take to make sure That this is their place when we think of our kids So with that the only other announcement Is to remind you that if you have a hymn That you're holding, please return it to the book carts On your way out So end with the announcements Each week we come together as a community of folks Who are holding joys and sorrows in our hearts In this place we love and are loved in return We give and receive We come together to find strength and common purpose Turning our minds and hearts towards one another Seeking to bring into our circle of concern All who need our love and support So I ask you to take a moment now To think of those loved ones in your lives Including yourself Who may need a little extra love and support And we're mindful also of the conflicts Occurring around the world That also need our prayers for peace Salam and shalom May we remember that we are part of a web of life And that makes us one with all of humanity And with all of 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 In the spirit of caring We will continue to sing Our final and closing hymn number 1017 Building a new way We will be singing verses 1, 2 and 4 today I invite you to rise in body and your spirit A new way Peace and freedom is our cry And now as we prepare to leave this space Made sacred by our honoring our connection With each other May we know deep within our being That we can and are building a new way in this world We build it every time that we make the conscious choice To be spiritually oriented Serving not just ourselves But our neighbor as well We extinguish the flame But not our love for this community Not our passion for justice And not our commitment to serve These we will share throughout our lives Until we gather again I invite you to be seated For one last gift of music