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Rev. Chris Jimmerson
June 4, 2023
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org
In this traditional Unitarian ceremony, everyone is invited to bring flowers to church. Then, during the service, we will hold our annual ritual where we bless the flowers and then share them with one another. What might this annual ritual tell us about human flourishing and delight.
Chalice Lighting
This is the flame we hold in our hearts as we strive for justice for everyone. This is the light we shine upon systems of oppression until they are no more. This is the warmth that we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.
Call to Worship
ALL OF US ARE BEAUTIFUL
By Thomas RhodesWe come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
Some of us grow in bunches.
Some of us grow alone.
Some of us are cupped inward,
And some of us spread ourselves out wide.Some of us are old and dried and tougher than we appear.
Some of us are still in bud.
Some of us grow low to the ground,
And some of us stretch toward the sun.Some of us feel like weeds, sometimes.
Some of us carry seeds, sometimes.
Some of us are prickly, sometimes.
Some of us smell.And all of us are beautiful.
What a bouquet of people we are!
Affirming Our Mission
Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.
Meditation Reading
FLOWER COMMUNION
By Lynn UngarWhat a gathering-the purple
tongues of iris licking out
at spikes of lupine, the orange
crepe skirts of poppies lifting
over buttercup and daisy.Who can be grim
in the face of such abundance?
There is nothing to compare,
no need for beauty to compete.The voluptuous rhododendron
and the plain grass
are equally filled with themselves,
equally declare the miracles
of color and form.This is what community looks like-
this vibrant jostle, stem by stem
declaring the marvelous joining.
This is the face of communion,
the incarnation once more
gracefully resurrected from winter.Hold these things together
in your sight-purple, crimson,
magenta, blue. You will
be feasting on this long after
the flowers are gone.
Sermon
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