“I’m New Here”

*In this service we will learn about the work of the ECDC in Brattleboro finding new homes and new lives for folks coming from Afghanistan. Eduardo Melendez and Joe Wiah will be speaking
*We’ll learn the song Paz y Libertad, from Amiliah and Greg and guest musicians.

We anticipate that this service will be both in-person and on Zoom. Click right here Sunday shortly before 10:00 a.m. to join via Zoom. Click here to read our protocols for in-person attendance.

Order of Service
Sunday, April 2, 2023        

Greeters: Ian Hefele and Carla Fogg

Announcements and Board Greeting                           Barbara Woods

Prelude:  Lady of the Harbor     Joe Jencks
Steve Squires, guitar; Eva Greene, piano

Chalice Lighting 
We light this candle as a symbol of our faith
By its light may our vision be illuminated;
By its warmth may our fellowship be encouraged;
And by its flame may our yearnings for peace, justice, and the life of the spirit be enkindled.
Lighting our Children’s Chalice
We light this chalice to celebrate Unitarian Universalism. We are the church of the open minds. We are the church of the helping hands. We are the church of the loving hearts.                                                                                 

Opening Words by Rev. Carvill Ziemer                                Ellie Weiss
If we lived in another climate
Our souls might speak other languages
We might speak oasis or permafrost, dry season or monsoon
But our souls speak spring
Our souls speak green shoots pushing through last year’s leaves
Our souls speak flower buds stretching to sun
Our souls speak mud puddle and nest building, damp earth and worm castings, tiny green leaves and frog choruses
We speak spring because spring sings in us
We gather to nurture our faith in our own growing
Our own courage to push through
Our own blossoming in beauty
Our own small part in the spring of this world.
Come, let us worship together

Opening Hymn: Build a Longer Table  (See insert)
Text: David Bjorlin (2017); 15th c. French carol

Story for All Ages:  “I’m New Here” by Sibley O’Bien
read by Ellie Weiss

Anthem: “Cantate Domino” music and words by Natalie Sleeth
          All Souls Choir, Tom Baehr, Director

Reading from Save the Children                                   George Carvill

Facts About Refugees Around the World

  • As the world is now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, here are some things to know about refugees.
  • The UN has said that the Ukraine refugee crisis caused the fastest and largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II.
  • In Syria alone, more than 6.8 million people have fled, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond.
  • More than 4 million Venezuelans are displaced abroad.
  • Brutal conflict in South Sudan has forced more than 2 million South Sudanese refugees to flee in a desperate bid to reach safety.
  • In Lebanon, where more than 1 million Syrian refugees reside, approximately 70% of Syrian refugees live below the poverty line.
  • Over the past three years, more than 75,000 children have been born in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.
  • About 30% of refugees arriving through the Balkans are children, while roughly 25% of these children are unaccompanied.
  • Nearly half of all refugee children are out of school, a figure likely worsened by the COVID pandemic.
  • Half of the world’s refugees are children.
  • Less than 1% of all refugees are ever able to resettle and find a new life in safety and security.                               

Shared Offering Presentation: Eduardo Melendez and Joe Wiah of ECDC                                                          

Offertory:     Imagine     John Lennon
Eva Greene, piano

Reflection on Joys and Concerns                                

Closing Hymn: Paz y Libertad      José Luis Orozco   (see insert)
taught to us by Greg & Amiliah; Steve Squires, guitar

Extinguishing the Chalice by William E. Gardner                 Ellie Weiss
“We all have two religions: the religion we talk about and the religion we live.It is our task to make the difference between the two as small as possible.”

Closing Circle: “Carry the Flame of Peace and Love” (sung two times)

Benediction by Stan Mitchell                                              George Carvill
“If you claim to be someone’s ally but you aren’t getting hit by the stones thrown at them, you’re not standing close enough.”

                                       

Coffee Hour and Conversation