January 7, 2024
Rekindling the Light by Merle Wenger
I would like to open this sharing part of the service with a message provided by our UUA President Sofia Betancourt in a sermon we might air at a later date. The sermon focuses on the seeds we are planting for new year and the expectations we have for their fruit.
(I paraphrase)During Covid we weaved our faith into community care. We built magical bridges and those bridges bring us into the present but require tending. When times are difficult it takes beauty and magic from unexpected places to hold us together–beauty and science and magic can weave together a path that leads us into hope–keep us connected when stress seems to pull us apart . What is it that we most long to focus our energy toward for 2024. What are you most proud of from 2023, what seeds are most precious from the last year in this congregation, that we can use as seeds for the new year? She believes Unitarian Universalists are most ready even when ideologies of separation and hatred are lauded around the nation, even when the bridge of connection threatens to fall. There is a power and hopefulness as each of us set our power and intentions for the New Year, without waiting for sunshine or better weather to do the work of new growth.
Dr Bentacourt introduces the inspiring theology of Rev Kenneth L Patton who theorized a temple of beauty a religion for one world. For Patton universalism needs to be expanded, needs to be a universalist religion that includes universal humanity, universal peace, universal health, universal welfare, universal freedom, universal security, universal science, and understanding. He believes the potential for this kind of future lies within each of us. Patton says, This is one world, we are one humanity, make your days and those of your children a glad time upon the earth. He believes that only A religion drawn beyond the boundaries of one religion bring into vision the necessary beauty of a peaceful world.
What beauty do you most want to call into being in 2024. How are you helping to keep the bridges of interconnection well-tended.
(End of paraphrased message)
So what energy is in the candle you light for the new year. On one hand it seems prosaic to set a resolution or intention for the new year. Afterall, the sun doesn’t mark a new year, it just keeps turning and burning. But humankind for many years uses this solstice point of mother earth to examine our past and imagine our future.
For me, one of the most challenging aspects of my inner mental conversation, is in dealing with mental health issues that arise in my interactions with society, friends and family. On the one hand there is an impulsive reaction to discredit another person, even myself, whether it be one afflicted with substances, one caught up in the latest conspiracy theory or the legal mess concerning our former President. The easiest path is to judge: to make it black and white. The more difficult path is to attempt to comprehend the shades of gray in the lives and actions of others as paths we ourselves would likely follow were we born into the situation of the other. And thus it becomes important to separate the message from the messenger, to develop language and actions that are sensitive to my own mental health and the health of others. Because I recognize that sometimes I compromise in this regard because I am simply in too much of a hurry. It is my intention to pay more attention to adapting my schedule, my thought patterns, and language, to be more sensitive in this regard.
Thoughts on Rekindling the Light by Pamela Beverage
“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.” (Rainer Maria Rilke)
And how do we rekindle the light to prepare ourselves to experience the new, untouched things throughout this long year???
I ask myself, what is the light we are trying to rekindle?? For me, rekindling the light is an inside job. The light is that spark within, the God within, the Goddess within, the universal energy within. Call it what you will. . . it’s inside!
An article on aging that I read recently said that while the body ages, the life force does not age—so I think the life force and the light we rekindle at this time of year are the same thing. The life force, also known as the light is already there.
Given that the light is already there, I may have gotten numb to it or ignored it, but it hasn’t gone away. Rekindling would mean (according to Webster) to reanimate, revive, review, renew, revivify, resuscitate, to bring back to life or consciousness.
It’s my own awareness or investment or commitment that needs to be renewed or rekindled.
As I listened to spiritual teacher Tara Brach recently, she used the example of a fire. Anyone who has built a fire knows that a sure way to extinguish the fire is to shut off its air supply. If you stack logs too tight, the fire won’t burn. So creating space between the logs is essential if you want the fire to continue burning. For me, this means that crowding my life with activity, busyness, tight scheduling will dim the light within. The light needs space, or I might call it a pause. So on New Year’s Eve as I threw an I-Ching for the coming year and drew an animal medicine card for direction, I set an intention to be more consciously engaged with the Light. I can do this through daily connection with that inner light and be guided by it. Developing my awareness of the light will enhance my ability to share it with others.
I invite you to join me.
Rekindling My Light by Judith Dreyer
I rekindle my light through preparation When I open the door to Advent And walk across the threshold I enter a luminous space, the one between endings and beginnings. When I open the door to Advent When Light turns more to darkness I enter a luminous space, the one between endings and beginnings From where I was to what I can become When Light turns more to darkness It’s easier to commune between the worlds. From where I was to what I can become Hoping to unite the mysterious with the mundane. It’s easier to commune between the worlds. Under an inky sky with moon and stars Hoping to unite the mysterious with the mundane. And trust love is greater than my fears. Under an inky sky with moon and stars I stay on the threshold till Light moves closer And trust love is greater than my fears. As I pay the Guardians and pray for Grace. I stay on the threshold till Light moves closer Then, I open the door to possibility and connection. As I pay the Guardians and pray for Grace. Through silence and thoughtful reflection, I rekindle my Light through preparation. With a hand on the doorway of new beginnings I walk across the threshold With a grateful and loosened heart. Please note: This is a pantoum poem format. My first attempt at this form got me out of my comfort zone.
Prime Meridian by David Lane
We retell the story of the magi, the three kings, at the end of the holiday season. For me it’s one of the most suggestive and fascinating components of our winter traditions.
As we hear how the magi followed a new star in the sky, their story suggests that finding and following new light is an ancient and task. But it’s what we do too, isn’t it, we UUs, as we search for truth and meaning in spite of all the disinformation, and hatred and injustice we find in the world around us.
Several years ago I wrote a poem about this modern search that magi like ourselves are engaged in. I’m going to read it now because it suggests my take on rekindling the light in the new year ahead, these best of times and worst of times up-coming:
that rekindling might just mean continuing, even if finding eludes us.
The stars we followed always seemed to move farther than we ever thought they could. Just beyond the reach of mind or heart, light danced faint, then bright, then faint once more, leading or misleading us, our eyes unequal to the task sky’s vast and open secret put before us. Why the journey? Not a question we could answer easily. Perhaps a need to know – the truth always a quarry worth pursuing, so we thought. Or because the light of angels contradicts all settled, simple notions of the way things are. Indeed, why not turn inside out all common sense? Is that not the goal in fact of every journey, every life? The shepherd’s or the sage’s? Of course, paupers, princes, all complain they have no time for foolish ventures such as ours. Instead, fields must be plowed, grain harvested, tomorrow’s bread stored up for years of famine yet to come. And armies too must be provisioned – bayonet and rifle, cannon, tank, and hand grenade stockpiled – all in readiness for certain war (yes, all the changes strategy and policy demand just to protect us in a world no one really wanted, even saw on the horizon). Indeed, these old coordinates of history force us to consult the sky. Perhaps a different kind of peace there awaits the searching eye – even now in our own time promises a fate long sought, enlightening both heart and mind, that after all might mean a different start. Then why the journey? Just because the future and the past allow between them little chance for intermission, space and time must then be found where all directions intersect at last, all lines of longitude full circle meet – as if at once each had become the prime meridian we seek.
Rekindling the Light by Paula Bennet
Good Morning Over the years I have tried and failed to build many fires… both campfires and fires in a fireplace. In fact it wasn’t until I started building fires in the HUU Fire Ring, that Bill put together, that I’ve had consistent success. Thank you Bill.
The fire failures looked like this – put in paper, put in kindling, put in bigger pieces of wood and then light the paper on fire. I’d get a lovely flame and then some of the kindling would catch – and then SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE – and no flame.
The process of damage control consisted of a DO OVER – getting more paper and kindling and trying again to get the fire started. I would REKINDLE the fire by choosing smaller and additional pieces of wood– sometimes trying to rekindle by using pine needles. The goal being to get the bigger pieces to catch on.
Thinking about this process of REKINDLING mirrors a kind of rekindling in my life and my relationships. When I see relationships going up in SMOKE without a flame – I look to see where I need to add some FORGIVENESS (Kindling) to try to get the fire going.
Those of you who know me… know that I get my feelings hurt easily and take things personally. There are plenty of times when this character trait prevents the building or renewing of relationships.
There are also plenty of times when I MESS UP!! When I say or do the completely wrong thing and then sit alone and hope and pray that the other person will excuse my mistake and/or forgive my unintentional hurtful words or actions.
As much as I hope others will forgive my mess-ups – I look to FORGIVENESS to Rekindle relationships. It seems that if we can forgive then we can rekindle and get/keep the fire burning. We can let our light shine through forgiveness,
When I can forgive – it makes a difference in ME. Holding grudges or staying upset with someone because of who they are or what they’ve done only makes my flame go up in Smoke – instead of shining brightly for others to see in the dark. For me– Rekindling Relationships starts with FORGIVENESS
Rekindling message by Sandy Greene
Come on over by the woodstove and warm up with me this icy morning. It only took me three tries to get the fire started.
I have rekindled for other new years – change is the constant when you’re fortunate enough to live a long life. So, 8 years ago when my husband died, I signed up for a Living Earth School program for 9 weekends in the woods of Afton from September – May. I thought it would be mostly an outward bound natural history course, but it turned out that the inward look was just as enriching and challenging.
Using an Iroquois tradition in December and January, we were invited to revisit the stepping stones of our lives in the past. We each actually drew a pathway of important events or people, locations and situations that brought us to the present. For me, each of these stepping stones actually did glow as I conjured the most vivid personal memories. A life map.
Our next task was to take an hour in the woods to compost something in our lives that was no longer needed, in order to make room for planting a seed for the new year. I really didn’t think I had anything to get rid of, but I headed off to my sit spot anyway. As soon as I sat down, I had a flash inspiration that I really could let go of the Presbyterian Church, and the translation and mumbling of creeds I really never believed. That was it. Decision made, and seeds planted to go ahead and leap to the Unitarian Church.
Of course, I didn’t leave behind my friends or community, and it took me a few years plus a pandemic to begin to come to HUU regularly, but that was a very positive rekindling
So last year I signed the book at HUU, and set an intention for 2023 on a sticky note: “Say Yes”.
You all certainly held me to it, by asking me to join in on projects, and I did say yes. Thank you for asking me to be part of the auction, coffeehouse, chocolate and Bingo, board and choir. I had a wonderful year getting to know you all better, and learning more about HUU and Unitarians.
So, now it’s time for 2024’s intention. I was glad for the challenge again (thank you Worship Committee for asking me). I followed the stepping stone routine, (with every stone involving kids), and feel good about composting some social expectations, and planting seeds that focus on children. My own grandchildren are thriving teens now, and although I can’t chase and carry or be a field trip leader these days, I will seek ways to support and encourage the younger generation.