Our Easter service featured music not usually associated with Easter. We began with a beloved song — “Blue Boat Home”. While we missed the sweetness of all our voices joined together, we got to watch the lovely images that flowed behind the song (sung by composer Peter Mayer) created by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fairfax, Virginia. Watch it again here.
We ended with “Swimming to the Other Side” by Emma’s Revolution. (Don’t miss their new song “From A Distance”, their take on the world in the midst of Social Distancing.) The image of finding our way to what’s next with all of our companions is a powerful one brought to beautiful life by Pat Humpheries and Sandy O, the singer/songwriter duo. Find “Swimming” here. And be sure to come to the service on April 26 when they will join us live to help us Sing For Our Lives.
The reading this morning came from the poet James Broughton. Contacted by a UU minister this week, his widow expressed delight that his words would be used in worship services across the country today. Here it is online if you want to visit it again.
The poem read in the meditation, “It is Enough” was written by Danna Faulds. It’s here.
In a similar vein, in her sermon, Linda referenced the modeh ani, a prayer of gratitude said by observant Jews upon awaking in the morning. Rabbi Rachel Barenblat offers a longer reflection about it as well as possible tunes for singing it. She reflects upon her intention to make it a daily practice, something that was hard during the first year of her son Drew’s life:
So it’s not always a practice I’ve been able to live up to. But even if I don’t wake with gratitude foremost in my heart, I can aspire to bring my gratitude to the fore — or, as Reb Jeff Roth taught, if I can’t feel grateful in this moment, I can take a moment to pray for the arrival of a time when I will be able to feel grateful again.
We may not be able to feel hope or gratitude at every moment, but we can always turn our intentions toward hope, gratitude, and love.
Happy Easter, y’all. May you find some small bit of rebirth in these days!