Our Hands of Justice

Together, we reach out and re-commit our hands and hearts to the work of justice. Racial justice, equality and care for our GLBTQ and refugee communities, freedom for all people, and in these times of climate crisis, justice for our earth. May we live, speak and act through our values. 

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“Our Hands of Justice”
with Rev. Telos Whitfield & Trish Murtha

Order of Service
Sunday, January 15, 2023

Greeting                                                                       Rev. Telos

Board Welcome & Announcements                        Leslie Kinney

Remembrance Candle in Honor of Philip Chapman

Prelude:   “Come Sunday”   Duke Ellington
Dan Kasnitz, bass; Eva Greene, piano


Chalice Lighting by Jami A. Handle                         Trish Murtha

We light this flame
To ignite the sacred power of justice.
We light this flame
So that it may be a beacon of hope
In moments of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and the unknown.
We light this flame, and are emboldened by its blaze,
Knowing our strength as a prophetic and powerful people
Is rooted in the diverse ways we answer the call to love.

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.

Call to Worship                                                          Rev. Telos                                                     

Opening Hymn #153:   “Oh, I Woke Up This Morning”

Time For All of Us: Can Kids Change the World?

Anthem:”River Song”
poem by Henry David Thoreau, music by Tom Baehr
All Souls Choir, Tom Baehr, director

Sharing Readings                                     Trish Murtha

Sermon: “Our Hands of Justice”                  Rev. Telos

Hymn #1051:    “We Are…” Ysaye Barnwell
led by Dan Kasnitz, tenor

Offering shared with Theatre Adventure

Offertory: “Lord, don’t move the mountain”   Mahalia Jackson (1958)
Eva Greene, piano

“Lord, don’t move the mountain
But give me strength to climb
Please don’t take away my stumbling blocks
But lead me all around”

Special Music  “Oh, Didn’t It Rain”
spiritual, arr. by Henry Thacker Burleigh (1919)
Catie Berg, soprano

Our Candles of Joys and Sorrows

Closing Hymn #169:   “We Shall Overcome”

Extinguishing the Chalice                            Trish  Murtha
Daring Vision by Maureen Killoran                                                                  

We extinguish this chalice flame,
daring to carry forward the vision of this free faith,
that freedom, reason and justice
will one day prevail in this nation and across the earth.

Closing Circle: “Carry the flame of peace and love
Until we meet again.” (sung two times)

Benediction                                                                         Rev. Telos