 Society. My name is Kelly Aspreuth Jackson, and I am one of the ministers here. I am joined today by the worship team of Linda Warren and Daniel Karns, by our special musical guest, Philip Delacris, and by our guest worship leader, my colleague, compatriot, and former classmate, the Reverend Chris Long, coming to us from the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he is the minister of congregational life. The vision of FUS is growing souls, connecting with one another, and embodying our UU values in our lives, our community, and our world. If you are visiting us today, welcome. We are so very glad that you are with us. If you would like more information about First Unitarian Society, please stop by the welcome table that is located in the commons just through those doors. We hope that you will be able to stay and join us for coffee hour immediately after the service, also in the commons. And special treat today, our Compass Points youth will be conducting a poll immediately after the service in the commons during coffee hour. Their goal is to learn more about congregational views on the seven current UU principles. Please help in their learning by completing a poll sheet, and thank you in advance. Next weekend we'll mark our annual observance of all souls, including a list of, a reading of a list of members of FUS who have passed from life in the past year. We would also like to include in that list the names of family, friends, and others whom you love who have died in the last 12 months. If you have a name that you would like added to this list, please contact Reverend Kelly Crocker. Her contact information can be found on our website. Also next weekend, on Sunday the 30th at 12.15, shortly after the 11 o'clock service, we will hold our fall parish meeting. Yeah! This is an important occasion in the democratic governance of this congregation. Details about the agenda may be found in the red floors or on our website. Please see me after the service if you are having any trouble finding out the details that you need in order to participate in this meeting. All members of FUS are invited and strongly encouraged to attend and participate. Your voice and your vision are essential to who we are. And for those connecting with us virtually today, we are glad that you are with us as well, and we hope that you will be able to watch the announcement slides shown briefly after today's service to learn more about upcoming events and activities. And now I invite you to join me in a moment of silence, to center ourselves, and bring ourselves fully into this time as we join together once more in community. Opening words by a beloved colleague of treasured memory, Matthew P. Taylor. The change comes from this book called Blue Notes, an anthology of love, justice, and liberation. As you may know, blue is an acronym for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. Matthew wrote, I can feel the change coming. Like growing pains, I can feel the change in my bones, pulling me, stretching me, forming me into the true I am. Can you feel it? The change in our bodies as we adapt, grow, change? The weight is shifting and molding to fit this ever-evolving body that we are in, guided by faith that this too will pass. We can survive this because our ancestors survived. Can you feel them in your DNA? You, a mixture of their particles that was molded to fit your spirit, mold and grow, yet in some ways we stay the same. And now I invite you to rise in all the ways that we do and join me in the words of aspiration for the kindling of our chalice. We light this chalice in memory of the courage of those who have struggled for freedom, the persistence of those who've struggled for justice, and the love of those who've built beloved communities to carry on the light of hope. Ferture and sustain the light with me in singing hymn number 348, Guide My Feet. Guide my feet as I run this race, guide my feet run this race in vain, this race in vain. Good morning. Good morning. I would like to invite the young or young at heart up for this morning's message for all ages. Give me a little space because I don't have a mask and we want to be as safe as possible yet, right? Can I have a little bit of space? I'm going to sit down here so you heard the story before? Were you here yesterday? Oh, he said he read this book before. Do you want to read it with me? Oh, he read it at school. What do we think? Should we read it together? No, he said no. So I'm going to ask good morning. I like everything. Everybody's looking like you've been up for 45 hours. Have you been up for 45 hours already? Some parents say yes, but your friend has. You slept in? Oh, guess what? I did not. I even went to bed late, but I'm here, right? Her dad always stays up late. So dad, your secrets are clear. So I'm going to ask you all a million dollar question. What is the congregation been focusing on for the month of October? What word has been the word that the congregation is focusing on? Spelling bee. That would be a good answer, but that's not the right one, right? It's close. Any other guesses? There are no wrong guesses. What would be your word? When I say courage, what comes to mind? I have a hand here. Thank you for raising your hand. Again, being brave. Let's give it up for being brave. That's the same thought they had. Let's give it up for you too. Any other things come to mind. It's like doing things when you're afraid anyway, right? The stuff it takes. So what I would like to do, and I have someone who's already read the book, oh, I stand corrected. Thank you for letting me know somebody had their hand raised. Again, what did you say? Let's do it. Let's stand up for what's right. One, two, three. Let's give it up. Stand up for what's right. Right? So okay, now we're going to go sit back down. We're getting our exercise this morning, and the words are, or the pictures are featured. Backpacking a couple days ago went backpacking a couple days ago and went 20 miles. I thought I was doing Good Walking Five the other day. You beat me. I had 12,000 in three steps in one day. Never again. Okay. So let's start the story so we can get you off to your religious education before too long. The title of the book is Stacey's Extraordinary Words. So the story starts and you can look at the pictures and they'll change soon. Stacey loved words. She loved to read and write and say them. She adored fun words, long words, unusual words, words with wonderful histories and weird combinations. Whenever Stacey learned a new word, it was like making a friend. First, she would find the dictionary, then she would look up where the word had come from and learn its secrets. Did any of its letters hide and stay quiet like the P in Tarmigan, a bird that lives in cold northern regions, or words that are strong like the I in Bright? Next page. Next, she wrote the words in her special notebook of extraordinary words. She practiced how to arrange the letters just right, how to sound them out. That's because she loves spelling interesting words most of all. With her favorite words, she would try to remember their quirks, what made them special. When she saw a super long word like onomatopoeia, wait, let's say it again. I can read. Onomatopoeia. Is that right? Onomatopoeia. See? Onomatopoeia, a funny word that describes the sound of other words. She had to jump up in sway. Let's jump up in sway. She had to jump up in sway, jump up in sway. Thank you for playing with me. Words like duckling made her grin. Persnickity tickled her tongue. Sometimes Stacey thought the words understood her better than people did. When she sat by herself during recess, they never teased her about being quiet or about being clumsy when she fell or awkward when the joke in her head came out wrong. When she read books under the covers, words never told her to go to sleep. Words understand why she was grumpy or anxious. In fact, words helped her explain what she was feeling if only to herself. One day, Stacey's teacher, Mrs. Blake Slee, asked her to wait after class. She squirmed in her seat because she was afraid, petrified, another way to say really, really afraid. Usually the teacher only kept students after class because of a blunder, a mistake. Ms. Blake Slee called Stacey to her desk and she returned her spelling test. What do you think her spelling test had on it? Oh, see? I can't see the pictures. Okay, well, don't tell the story. That's not fair to other students as you've had it. A big red 100 sat at the top of the page. The teacher asked her, do you know what a spelling bee is? A really smart insect, Stacey joked. The teacher smiled, a spelling bee is a contest where students compete to spell as many words correctly as they can. I would like for you to participate. Stacey couldn't believe it. She says, who else will be there? I'm nominating you and Jake. The spelling bee is next week. Stacey's excitement suddenly evaporated. Jake was not her friend. He was a bully who knew words too. Just yesterday, he had used a complicated word to make Suki cry. Last week, she heard him say something cruel to Zivko about his accent. Do you see the little girl in the hijab? What's the hijab? Does anybody know what it is? And it's for people who are Muslim, right? And it's for protection and it's really important. So thank you for sharing. Let's give it up for who knowing what the hijab was. Stacey thought it was stupendous that Zivko knew words in two different languages. Stacey knew as much words as Jake did. She wanted to say something when he said mean things to her friends, but she was intimidated, scared, because sometimes he said hurtful things to her too. She wished she had used her clever words to help Suki and Zivko or herself by speaking up. Perhaps at the spelling bee she would be braver. At the spelling bee, she would not be silent. All week long, Stacey studied her spelling words from school and the ones she kept in her notebook. Still, the spelling bee felt as far away as the longest word she had ever seen, sesquipedalian, a fancy way to describe words with lots of syllables. The days of the week were monotonous, torturous, and sluggish. Every hour felt longer and longer. Finally, the morning of the spelling bee arrived. Stacey walked into the county library with her mother holding her hand tight. Mom gave her a big hug and whispered in her ear, just do your best. Your dad and I are very proud of you. Stacey followed her teacher to the room where the other students waited until it was time to go. Then they went up onto the stage. The announcer explained the rules. Kids stepped up to the microphone one by one to get their word. If they spelled it correct, the announcer would tell them so. But what would happen if they didn't spell it correct? Who knows? Let's go back here. Somebody different. They would get disqualified, but what happens? Let's go here. I haven't heard your voice. They ring a bell. Let's give it up for the bell ringers. The announcer ring, ring, ring. Well, we have bell ringers literally here. But if they made a mistake, a bell ring, the students would have to leave the stage no do-overs. Stacey's turn finally came. Her stomach ached with nervous energy, but she was ready. Say the word dither. Sound it out. Spell it out. D-I-T-H-E-R. That's correct, the announcer called on the next student and the next promptly enormous shutter, transportation, craggy reception, village. Finally, only three contestants remained. Stacey, Jake, and a girl from another school. The girl went up to spell her word. Ding. She had spelled chocolate without the second O. We are down to the final two contestants, the announcer told the audience. Jake took a long time to spell except. Stacey got squeezed, but she remembered the lost letter she adored, like Q and Z. Jake got clamoring. Stacey conquered disengage. Then Jake defeated geometry. Stacey returned to the podium ready to do battle with her next word. She repeated it. She sounded it. She pronounced it. She spelled it. I-N-S-T-A-N-A-N-I-O-U-S. Instantaneous. As she waited for the announcer, the bell dinged. I'm sorry that's incorrect. The proper spelling is. Stacey couldn't hear the rest of what he said. Tears filled her eyes, but she stayed on stage like a good sport as Jake got his trophy, and she received her second place ribbon. Everyone congratulated Jake and so did she. Good job. Jake laughed and rolled his eyes. At least I know the difference between I and E. Stacey felt embarrassed, but she refused to let Jake make her cry. Well, I misspelled my word, but I know how to be courteous. You should try it. What did she do in that instant? She stood up for herself, right? She turned away and went to find her mom. If today were like the one of the stories Stacey loved most, she would have won, and Jake would have learned that words were a gift that shouldn't be used to hurt people. But things don't always happen that way in real life. Sometimes change was harder, and it didn't happen right away. Stacey felt a hand brush at her cheek. It opened her fist and soothed out her ribbon. Mama, she put a butterscotch candy on top. Stacey's favorite kind. You okay? I lost, but you came so far, nearly to the very end. Not far enough, I got the letter wrong, and I didn't win. I failed. You only fail if you stop, her mother reminded her. I know there's a word, I know there's a word you know it too. Stacey thought about one of her favorite words, perseverance, P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E. Exactly. So let's go home and learn more words. There's always next year, Stacey imagined all the words she had yet to meet, new words and new ways to speak up and help others. She did find them all, or she'd find them all. No mama, there's always tomorrow. So thank you for listening and watching for today's story, and I wish you all the best as we send you off to your religious education for today. Into this time of giving and receiving, where we give freely and generously to this offering which sustains and strengthens our community here, and also our outreach offering recipient, who this week is Freedom Inc., a Black and Southeast Asian non-profit organization that works with low to no income communities of color. Their mission is to achieve social justice through coupling direct services with leadership development and community organizing that will bring about social, political, cultural, and economic change, resulting in the end of violence against women, gender non-conforming and transgender folks, and children within communities of color. There are multiple ways to share your gifts this morning. There are baskets at the exits to this room in which you may place cash or checks. You'll also see on the screen that you can donate directly from our website, FUSMadison.org, and find there the text to give information as well. We thank you for your generosity and your faith in this life we create together. Our here, here in this sacred place, a sacred place made holy by our presence, and for the work that is left here in this congregation and in our world for us to do together. Amen. This exact congregation holds so many sacred memories for me on so many levels. First, it was the congregation, chancel, pulpit. I ever uttered a word from in a Unitarian Universalist worship space and being a Unitarian Universalist nearly 23 years now. Yes, the Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, who some of you may remember any, I hear, all right, give it up for Mary Ann Macklin. She was then the young adult and campus minister for this congregation. I had the great fortune along with another beloved long-time Unitarian Universalist friend, Dr. Roxanne Pritchard, to be the Unitarian Universalist young adult and campus ministry co-chair out of this congregation in early 2000. Are y'all open to do a little chant with me this morning? So yeah, so our affectionate chant was M. M-U-U-Yacum, Madison Unitarian Universalist young adult and campus ministry, say Mu Yacum, because you're going to hear it again. To the reverends Kelly AJ and Kelly Crocker, thank you so very much for inviting me here to share in the co-creation of this worship service together with you all. It is indeed a profound honor to be here in this sacred space some 23 years after entering this living faith tradition that has given me so much over the last two plus decades. As I begin, it is critical for me to continue to acknowledge the fact that we are on the sacred lands of the Ho-Chunk peoples. For as we know, the university has been making efforts recently after hundreds of years to honor the fact that this is Ho-Chunk land. By naming of dormitories to jope, we know it is the jope for lakes. And most recently, the Ho-Chunk flat raising ceremonies on the campus. Anybody aware of those flag-raising ceremonies? They have it a several times a year. Again, it's recent and we also know it's not permanent. And yet, even as some measures to honor the Ho-Chunk history here in recent weeks, I don't know if you've seen these, but the state of Wisconsin, I assume, is erecting signs that read Ho-Chunk reservation. These signs I feel are misguided at best and at worst continues the hundreds of years of oppression of the Ho-Chunk people here. We are watching, amen. More personally, it is my faithful practice to invite ancestors, my personal and maybe your personal and our collective ancestors to this moment, to this moment to be here and to co-create even more deep sacred space within and amongst us as we all journey. As we journey as Unitarian Universalists some for many years, who's been here over 20 years? Raise your hand. Who's been here 20 years to 10 years? Raise your hand. Who, five years? Under five years. Who's here for the very first time? Let's give it up for the newcomers, yeah? In welcoming ancestors, we have a new ancestor to add as Madison community, Quantes de Campbell. How many of you heard that Quantes de Campbell, a person who lived of Madison, got killed by the Dane County deputy sheriffs a week ago Thursday? His family still has not received any answers nor his body from authorities regarding his murder to date. We hold the memory of Quantes and his grieving family in this sacred space today. Courage, nearly 23 years a Unitarian Universalist in community, is the title and theme for my offering today in three parts. Wondering the beginning years, guide my feet, seminary and community defined, and building a new way, Unitarian Universalism, leaning into this new world now. Please, folk back with me to the fall of 1999. I had recently moved to Madison from Joliet, Illinois. Who here knows Joliet, Illinois? All right for the hands-raising. I was in search for a religious home here in Madison after being born in Memphis, Tennessee, into a religious family rooted in a number of Black faith traditions. I was also rooted in love for my family that has never wavered. I was longing to find religious community that would hold my working class, working poor, religious, out as gay, African-American, one-eighth Chinese soul. Seeking religious community in a larger society and religious context that would only accept parts of me. Wondering the beginning years, again in the fall of 1999, James Reeve Unitarian Universalist Church housed what was called the Old Catholic Church. That church was my sixth here in Madison, seeking to find the soul of religious life that I felt as a child. A place where I felt the spirit of love, community, and belonging. Such a place that most of my life in coming to terms with all of me in my early 30s had been oppressive, limiting to the point of being in a religious desert of my life when I came to Madison. The Old Catholic Church on the day I happened into it was being beautifully led and it was largely in Latin, which I do not speak. As life fate and faith would have it, this service took place in the middle of two services offered at James Reeve at the time. When I entered James Reeve that day, the Reverend John Olu Johnstone was leading the worship and the tears, tears of what is this poured out of my eyes and my soul, if you will. The feelings of my childhood religious community came springing forth through her Southern Baptist Harvard Divinity School educated Unitarian Universalist preaching, say preaching. The form of Unitarian Universalist preaching, that form still rings true and through my soul today. That was September of 1999. By December of 1999 I would sign the book which is the way you become a Unitarian Universalist in some congregations. It's not all 1400 of us, but in some congregations I signed the book, The Way to Become a Unitarian Universalist. With this church experience and my deep involvement in Muacum, say Muacum, I felt I was religiously home. So much at home that after attending my third General Assembly, the annual meeting of thousands of Unitarian Universalists from around the world in 2004 and with where I was in my life professionally as a young adult, I sought and followed my intuitions to apply to seminary. By November of 2004 I would submit my application to Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California, where I had my first visit ever to Berkeley for an in-person interview that fall. I had the opportunity to sit in on courses to better understand the seminary's educational philosophy and its commitment to a religiously more just world. I received my acceptance letter around Christmas that same year. By April of 2005 I would leave my full-time, relatively well-paying job as a corporate staff training coordinator. I'd sell my car, rent a Pinsky truck to be driven across the country to California and start my studies in Berkeley in August of that year. The next four years would be profoundly positive even as there were great challenges in my personal life and living. While at Starr King I would learn more about Unitarian Universalism, world religious traditions and intersectional justice making, religious intersectional justice making from and with the Reverend Alma Faith Crawford, Baba Ibrahim Firjaje of Blessed Memory, the Reverend Dr. Rebecca Parker, the Reverend Dr. Gabriella Latini, the Reverend Dorsey Blake who was mentored by Howard Thurman to name a few. On June 7th 2009 at about 3.41 p.m. specific time exactly in less than 10 years of being a Unitarian Universalist I was ordained by the first Unitarian Church of Oakland in Oakland, California. This is the congregation where I had the good fortune to complete a two-year part-time internship as their intern minister. The amazing souls and profound religious and communal those amazing souls and profound religious and communal experiences helped to shape aspects of my Unitarian Universalist and worldview which anchor my ministry and calling today. Y'all ready to do a little more singing with me? Who can tell me where the guide my feet song is from? It's in the hymnal but it's a Negro spiritual and I want you to sing it a little bit with me. Imagine that these songs have have held true in African American culture based in religion but as Unitarian Universalists what do we mean when we're thinking about guiding our feet right? God my feet come on y'all. Oh God my feet while I run this race oh for I search my heart let's give it a little more gusto ready? Search my while I run this race yes search my heart while I run this race yes search my heart for what for you used to do it without a book I knew it I knew it I knew it guide my feet seminary and community defined in July of 2009 I will return to Madison for a bit of rest in renewal staying with my beloved friend here Kyle Richmond July of 2009 for rest and renewal and discern what my next ministerial steps may be. Well my rest and renewal aspirations would turn into me spending a year attempting to start a Unitarian Universalist community ministry here in Madison Wisconsin. The goal for this ministry was to galvanize support financing and Unitarian Universalist people power to begin a Unitarian Universalist statewide legislative ministry. This ministry never took shape as I had hoped for for any number of reasons and say and I would spend the next nearly five years here in Madison living out my calling and ministry working for the YWCA and the University of Wisconsin Madison with Dr. Seema Kampani for the Learning Communities for Institutional Change and Excellence. Elsice no no no he can stay let's let's leave that he's in the service too right that's part of the service name going nowhere thank you for giving me my my second a man corner is back there the Leadership Institute is where we developed and implemented nine month long Dialogical Social Justice Learning Communities for faculty staff students and community members all the while I'm humbled to say I spent much of my time outside of my working at the UW teaching learning and growing with grassroots on the ground leaders of Freedom Inc. of Operation Welcome Home a local homeless advocacy network led by people experiencing homelessness I spent time with the Madison area urban ministries who helped people who were coming out of being incarcerated into getting back into life and I was active with the local Black Lives Matter chapter also with leaders of groundwork who here knows what groundwork is white anti-racist organizing collective here in Madison still active as I'm hearing it was also the time in 2015 when Tony Robinson was murdered as we well know the family is still seeking justice for Tony today community how do you define community who and what makes up your community more to the point and as members of this robust historic congregation what does religious spiritual community look like within these walls who is welcomed here as important and I share with deep curiosity who was not welcomed here how do we know how might we continue to engage this faithful spiritual religious question not from a point of judgment but from a point of how might we widen the circle towards even more inclusive thriving religious welcome especially to those not yet here amen community for me within and well beyond our congregational walls has been what has saved my deeper devotion to leaning to leaning into and living out my Unitarian Universalist faith what or who within our Unitarian Universalist theologies our highest aspirations guides your feet towards more justice love equity compassion in this community not this church in this community in these uncertain times as we continue to navigate the world of the before and post pandemic times as we are still in liminal space what gives you courage and hope to hold on another new growth spiritual just a little while longer what gives you the courage to hold on even as we navigate through the pandemic who are what within this living faith congregation gives you hope new building a new way Unitarian Universalism leaning to this new world now as I start to round the corner of my offering today I would like to share some hope you're all ready for some hope you're all ready for some hope I wanted to share some hope I have seen from this congregation that I have been seeing and feeling all the while after watching you from afar through the interwebs and from 10,000 feet and the hope that I'm seeing I will close with the hope I'm also seeing for myself and the Unitarian Universalist Association my journey into ministry of my calling has been profoundly powerful and positive even as upon deep reflection within our beloved Unitarian Universalism I and many others who come package as myself experience isms of our day even within Unitarian Universalist congregations yet I after 13 years of being ordained as Reverend Kelly said I'm currently the minister of congregational life the first ever at the Unitarian Universalist Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge I know where I work the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and peeking into y'all's walls through the interwebs at the installation of reverence Kelly both Kelly AJ and Kelly C I don't know if she's here today but I was yearning and so pumped I was so inspired to visit to see that and the robust energy that you all have here amen in this period of honoring aspects of your treasured history what might it be time to let go of as a denomination we are at once having 221 congregations vote to adopt the 8th principle even as we know the article 2 commission has appointed by the board as appointed by our board is set to release its first draft changes to our seven principles that may alleviate them all together on October 24th which is tomorrow that first draft will be released to congregations for study and reflection friends Unitarian Universalism and each of us are on the move towards a new way amen in closing just last week I had the opportunity to preach a week ago today I was preaching in Birmingham Alabama who here has had a chance to visit a legacy museum from enslavement to incarceration by Brian Stevenson we have two folks that have I had a chance to preach who here knows what Loretta is it's Loretta is the National Association of Religious Educators Unitarian Universalist Educators they had their fall conference last week in Birmingham Alabama and at that conference I had a chance to be in community and deep conversation with Dr. Paul Cole Jones one of the architects of the 8th principle as you may know Dr. Jones is also on the article 2 commission she shared with great clarity that if more congregations vote to adopt the 8th principle they will be more than ready to engage and embody the work proposed any of the proposed changes that may yet come from the article 2 commission who here is ready to be a part of Unitarian Universalism as we move towards building a new way all right the hands popping up y'all should be here over online I'm sorry I haven't acknowledged you but the hands are popping up a way that meets our personal and collective needs towards more justice mercy love and compassion for ourselves and yes for the planet amen may it be so blessed be shalom ashay and all the people said amen and our losses of recent days with us in our hearts we share these knowing that we are held in Nancy and Pete Daley ask us to light a candle of great sorrow for the unexpected death of Pete's brother at age 59 this comes just weeks after the passing of Nancy's brother also unexpectedly we hold Nancy and Pete in our loving care as they move through the coming days we also light a candle of grief for Lou Rosa friend of John and Helena Mugevna who passed from life suddenly this week we light a candle for Qantas Campbell may his body know peace and for his family may they know justice we light a candle of celebration for the Hindu festival of Diwali which falls on this coming Monday may this holy occasion bring happiness and prosperity to all who celebrate and may all of us be inspired and encouraged by its symbolism of the spiritual victory of light over lightlessness good over evil and knowledge over ignorance and we light a candle in solidarity with the people of Ukraine both in their suffering and in their struggle together we yearn for peace for them and for all people and for an end to all wars of conquest anywhere and everywhere on earth with all of this and so much more to hold I invite you now to turn with me both inward and outward for a time of meditation and of prayer we join our hearts together today with a special awareness of the intermingled nature of our precious and precarious existence that into the threads of life's rich tapestry grief and gladness are woven exceedingly fine that the radiance of joy and hope and awe are all tangled up with the loneliness and anguish of loss that life is hard and the fact that it is also beautiful does not simply take away life's hardship so we turn our faces to the soil and water the earth with our tears we lift our faces to the heavens and cry aloud our suffering just as we also feel the sturdiness of the earth underneath us and sense the light of stars on our skin grief and gladness are woven fine because of this we cannot fully escape what hurts also because of this the promise of joy is never completely out of reach tangled up in the many colored threads which together constitute life on this world we rest amid the knotted wonderment of it together for this one quiet moment blessed be and amen i hope that you will please rise in body and or spirit join me in singing hymn number one hundred sorry one thousand and seventeen we are building a new way a new way a new way yes yes yes yes we are building a new way getting strong you can clap it's okay to clap yes we are building a new way yes yes yes yes yes we are working to be i don't think you believe it i don't think you believe it yes yes yes yes we can yes yes we can talk about what's going to lead us come on right peace and freeze yes yes peace and extinguishing benediction words from the reverend tereza nenan soto to be free the two people who have mistaken freedom for liberation is the title of the piece to be free you must embrace the breath of your own existence without apology even if they try to take it from you you must know not that you can do whatever you want you are not a kudzu vine eating entire hillsides for the purpose of feeding your own lush life you must know instead that inside you are entire universes milky blue magenta and gold expanding to be free you must know and you must fight the entire universes inside of everyone else being free is not a license but a promise may bus it be may it be so and i invite you to remain seated for the postlude thank you