Theme “Wonder”
In awe and wonder
We light our chalice in gratitude
For the grace of mystery
For all the times we have stood
In awe and wonder
At the depths of our inner lives and
The beauty of our outer lives
Made One
Open your hearts
Open your hearts to the wonder of worship.
Open your minds to the eternal quest for meaning and truth.
Open your eyes to the miracle of creation.
Open your arms to the embrace of your fellow men and women.
Open your souls, and let the divine sweep in.
Chalice lighting
The chalice is the fullness of life’s experiences
And the emptiness of innocent openness to wonder
As we light the chalice flame
Let us explore the empire of the senses,
Let us celebrate experience and experiment:
the twin expressions of freedom, reason and tolerance.
Closing blessing
Just as Darwin and Newton, Einstein and Hawking saw the world with fresh eyes and wondered at the mysterious but glorious universe of matter and of spirit, so may you behold the world with wonder and amazement.
The pearl
I stand here before the ancestors,
Empty and hollow
And open to the waves.
I am a shell awaiting the bright
Sunlight to warm me,
The black sea to fill me.
Deep within, a grain of sand so sharp
And fine comes to rest,
While each day, on this shore,
The sun kindles the
Christmas
Bethlehem is wherever a baby is born and wonder-filled parents enjoy the moment.
Bethlehem is wherever new lives are birthed and nurtured towards independent being.
Bethlehem is wherever renewed spirit and fresh perspective emerge from out the human shadows.
Bethlehem is wherever human imagination unfolds into stories and sculptures and symphonies.
Bethlehem is wherever seeds
Because we are finite
Because we are finite, we lift up our eyes to the infinite sky, and feel wonder and awe.
Because we have stumbled, we take the tender hand which beckons us to rise, and feel strength and reassurance.
Because we are lonely, we reach out to those around us, and feel warmth and acceptance.
Because we are human, we