Mabon Service

"Good morning, and welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fayetteville. My name is Dan Sommer. I am a member of this congregation, and it is my pleasure to lead the service this morning. Our speaker this morning is Mateo.

[Feel free to use the restroom if needed during the service. Our restroom is located to the back left. And please join us after the service for refreshments and a chat.

Whoever you are, whomever you love, you are welcome here.

Autumnal Welcoming

Come in, from the crisp morning air outside,
come in, wearing the autumn sunlight on your face,
come, carrying the turning of the seasons in your heart.
Whatever and however the greatness of life is speaking to you now,
you are welcome here in our circle of friends.

*Permission Secured by Soul Matters

May the chalice we light
and this hour we share,
make space for new beginnings.

May the wounds long held or recently inflicted,
find healing in the words offered today.

May the worries weighing us down
become lighter as the music sinks beneath our skin.

May the fear that seems so certain
be loosened by looking around and remembering
none of us are in this alone.

And may our doubts and disappointments
be replaced by an ever-unfolding faith in
more goodness,
more hope,
more joy, and
our beautiful ability to begin again.

Come, let us worship together.

Dear friends, dear friends,
Let me tell you how I feel.
You have given me such treasure.
I love you so.

Ours is a welcoming community where we find connection;
…a spiritual community where we find meaning;

Ours is a sharing community where our joys are amplified;
…a caring community where our sorrows are lessened;

We take this moment to reflect on our joys and sorrows and acknowledge the mutual support of our community.

If you would like, you may come forward and release a stone in the water in silence or with a brief verbal expression of a special joy or sorrow.

Please keep comments appropriate for all ages and no longer than 1-2 minutes per person, so that there is enough time for everyone who would like to share.

……………………

Closing:
I will drop one last stone in the water for all those joys and sorrows which remain unspoken, but which nevertheless live in our hearts.

Over our heads, the great wheel of stars shifts,
the autumnal equinox manifests itself,
and for one precious instant darkness and light
exist in balanced proportion to one another.

Within our minds the great web of neurons shifts,
new consciousness arises,
and for one precious instant experience and meaning
exist together as revelation and epiphany.

Within our hearts the great rhythm of our lives shifts
a new way of being reveals itself,
and for one precious instant
the nexus of the body and the seat of the soul
truly exist as one.

Let us give thanks for those times in our lives
when all seems in balance.
For those times are rare and precious.
The equinox shall pass, the revelation may be forgotten,
and our actions will not always reflect our true selves.
But through our gratitude
we may remember who we are,
reflect on who we may become,
and restore the balance which brings equanimity to our lives.

Let us be quiet for a moment, together.

For those of us with little to nothing to spare financially, this is a time often ripe with feelings of discomfort and inadequacy. Let us address that in our giving.

We give what we have been blessed with a surplus of: ranging from time, energy, and prayers, to talents and finances. Sometimes we have all of these to offer the bounty of, and other times only one or another. In certain seasons, we have nothing to offer and are granted the equally important blessing of receiving. No one is more or less beloved because of how much they can give or how much they need to receive.

The Hebrew word for this act, צדקה, (ts-dah-kah) is often mistranslated as charity. It is more accurately translated as justice. We give our surplus not out of fear of divine punishment nor for a transaction of prosperity. We give what we can, when we can, because when we do so, we build a more just world. We receive what we need, how we need it, as we live out our values by releasing our cares into the embrace of our beloved community.

Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All that dies shall be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls shall rise again.

A wisp of smoke rises from an extinguished candle.
When the candle dims,
The wax almost spent
The light turns amber like a sunset
Still it provides light
Still it provides heat
Still it can kindle new flame
And pass its glow on
And contribute to new illumination
When sunsets turn to new days
When seasons transform all
When the candle dims, all is not lost.

Hope continues, uncertain and true,
like candlelight, ready to spark again.
All is not lost.