Winter Solstice Celebration

What a beautiful winter solstice service at the UU church this morning. Although my photography is substandard, the service was anything but!

One of the sources of our faith is derived from the teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

To the heart beat of a native drum the choir sang, "We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning, and never ending. We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning and never ending..." and the congregation joined in on the chorus between angelic verses sung by solitary and joined choir voices. The music swelled and took flight over our heads, moving among us and in us as tears slipped down a few cheeks.

Equally touching was Solstice Chant: "Deep, deep, deep into the heart of winter. Deep, deep, deep into the womb of the mother. Deep, deep, deep where there is no other song but the song of my soul." Such music moves me in unspeakable ways, brings to the surface so much that in our work-a-day world is all but forgotten. We were moved and we moved, each with our own candle, our own light, which we planted in Earth bowls at the center of the spherically-arranged seating. We were uncharacteristically reverent.

The readings too -- from Black Elk Speaks; Uvanuk, Igloolik Intuit; and Julie Middleton painted pictures with words, truths as old as the Earth itself, complementing the mystic ethos. Such are the atmospheres orchestrated by UUCS Music Director Keith Plumley in consort with an unbelievably talented, albeit small, choir and supporting cast.

If I have any regrets it is this: that this morning's service and others like it will live only in the minds and hearts of those in attendance as there was no recording made...

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We are a Circle by Rick Hamouris :: Solstice Chant by Anne Bearheart :: Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt :: Untitled readings by Julie Middleton :: Uvanuk, Igloolik Inuit

Good Ole Times

I am not much of a teacher but I agreed to teach the upper elementary class at the UU church on the condition that I could do so with my good friend Barbara Cameron. She agreed and we set out with our Mystery UUs curricula. Our first subjects: John & Abigail Adams. Barbara won the kids' trust by giggling at the photo of Mrs. Adams, saying she looked rather "handsome." It was, admittedly, an unflattering image of the first second lady of the United States.

As we were brainstorming as to how we might portray this early American, influential, very scholarly couple, Barb could not get the Addams family tune out of her head and she suggested we re-write the lyrics to that famous tune to suit our own ends. We were laughing and kidding around about it when Zoey, shown in the photo with us here, says not quite under her breath, "Adults are weird!" You're right Zoey.

We did re-write the lyrics and Keith Plumley plucked out the tune on the piano while Barb, the upper elementary and junior high kids, and I sang our little ditty on a recent Sunday morning. The congregation was challenged to guess who our mystery UU characters were. There were many correct answers and some almost correct answers that were nearly as funny as our little ditty. Oh, and the ever-resourceful Kathleen Anderson provided the get ups to authenticate our skit. Just goes to show you, you might see just about anything at the UU church!