ORDER OF SERVICE

Sunday, August 10, 2008
Summer Service 9:00 am

Mary Pearson, pianist

“More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and

utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to

 choose correctly.”—Woody Allen

Intoning the Chime

Call to Gather

“Sunday Morning” by David Rankin

Rev. Mark Stringer

Chalice Lighting

Leader:  Life is a gift for which we are grateful.
People:  We gather in community to celebrate the glories and mysteries of this great gift.
Leader:  So let us kindle now the flame of our liberal religious heritage.
People:  In its glow, may our reason and our passion lead us to be true to ourselves, true to each other and true to what we can together become.

David Ross and Walter Tomlinson

*Hymn #42

Morning, So Fair to See

Welcome

Rob Heater

Sharing a Story

Too Much Noise by Ann McGovern

Sydney Pelley

Singing Children Out

Children’s Benediction by B. Bradfield

“Go in joy. Go in peace to meet the day.          With open hearts embrace life’s wonder.           We will guide you. We will love you on your way.”

(words by  Barbara Pescan)

Sharing our Abundance
Offertory

Remember Love by Michael Garson

Mary Pearson

Joys and Concerns

Meditation

   Spoken

   Silent
   Sung Response #128

including “Summer Morning” by Mary Oliver

For All That Is Our Life

Readings

the words of Henry Miller
“The Lost Ticket”; a wisdom tale from the Middle East, retold by Elisa Davy Pearmain

Rob Heater

Recorded Music Meditation

After All by Dar Williams

(see words>)

Sermon

“Flags a Flyin’”

Rev. Stringer

*Hymn #34

Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire

*Closing Words

words of Robert Mabry Doss

*Extinguishing the
Flame

Leader:  I extinguish the symbolic flame of this gathering. May we carry its light into the world.
People:  Let us go from this place, open to life, expecting to love and prepared to serve.

*Closing in Song
*Please stand as you are able.

Hymn of Valor                            (see inside back cover of hymnal)

“After All” by Dar Williams (from the cd The Green World)

Go ahead, push your luck, find out how much love the world can hold,
Once upon a time I had control, and reigned my soul in tight.

Well the whole truth, it’s like the story of a wave unfurled,
But I held the evil of the world
So I stopped the tide, froze it up from inside,

And it felt like a winter machine that you go through and then,
You catch your breath and winter starts again,
And everyone else is spring bound.
And when I chose to live, there was no joy, it’s just a line I crossed,
It wasn’t worth the pain my death would cost,
So I was not lost or found.

And if I was to sleep, I knew my family had more truth to tell.

And so I traveled down a whispering well,
To know myself through them.

Growing up, my mom had a room full of books, and hid away in there,
Her father raging down a spiral stair,

Till he found someone, most days his son,
And sometimes I think my father too was a refugee,

I know they tried to keep their pain from me

They could not see what it was for.

But now I’m sleeping fine,

Sometimes the truth is like a second chance,

I am the daughter of a great romance,

And they are the children of the war.

Well the sun rose with so many colors, it nearly broke my heart,

It worked me over like a work of art,

And I was part of all that.

So go ahead, push your luck,

Say what it is you gotta say to me,

We will push on into that mystery,

And it’ll push right back, and there are worse things than that,

Cause for every price, and every penance that I could think of,

It’s better to have fallen in love,

Than never to have fallen at all,

Cause when you live in a world, well it gets into who thought you’d be,

And now I laugh at how the world changed me,

I think life chose me after all.

Special Thanks to Today’s Service Participants …

Greeters, Ushers, Coffee & Treats

Donna Wallace, Curt Smith and Bob Baker

A warm welcome to all guests today. We’re glad you’re here! Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion with Jewish-Christian roots and many branches upon which members have searched for meaning. It affirms the dignity of all persons, advocates freedom of belief and the pursuit of advancing truth and provides a warm, open, supportive community. If you would like  to find out more about the church or receive our newsletter, stop in the entryway at the Visitor Information Table. We welcome the opportunity to meet you!

Sharing our abundance: we pass two baskets each Sunday – one for the church and one for community outreach. The outreach collection will be split evenly between Children and Families of Iowa's Family Violence Center and the Des Moines Area Religious Council. (These two groups were chosen by the congregation at our annual meeting.)

Next Sunday Service: “Lessons Learned” with Curt Simmons

Curt shares his journey to visit a family living in isolation on the remote cliffs of Molokai Island.

Sunday 8/10

9:00 am

10:00 am

10:30 am

“Flags A Flyin’” with Rev. Mark Stringer …Auditorium
Multi-age child programming…Channing Hall
Coffee/Social Time…Gathering Place
Interweave…Channing Hall

Wednesday 8/13

6:00 pm
6:30 pm

Meditation…Channing Hall
SGM…Mark’s Office

Thursday  8/14

6:00 pm

Board Meeting…Mary Safford Rood
SGM…Mark’s Office

Friday  8/15

7:00 pm

Duplicate Bridge

Sunday 8/17

9:00 am

10:00 am
10:30 am
10:45 am

“Flags A Flyin’” with Rev. Mark Stringer …Auditorium
Multi-age child programming…Channing Hall
Coffee/Social Time…Gathering Place
Family Potluck Picnic
SGM…Mark’s Office

* * * * COMMUNITY NEWS / UPCOMING EVENTS * * * *

Duplicate Bridge, Friday, August 15, 7:00 pm

This will be a good social and learning time within the general structure of Duplicate Bridge.  You will need a partner.

Contact Terry or Jane Swanson at 515-277-5080 or email jswanson@website-center.com.

Church Potluck Picnic 
Sunday, August 17
10:30 am-1:30 pm

Come join us for our last church summer picnic: meet new friends and reconnect with familiar faces. We will meet up after services at Union Park, 725 Thompson Avenue in Des Moines.

Please bring a dish to share, outdoor games, and swimsuits for wading pool. We supply burgers and hotdogs (vegetarian and meat), beverages, condiments, paper products, and utensils. Please RSVP to Ellen Taylor at eltaylor@dwx.com or 515-277-9715.

Women’s Book Club, Wednesday, August 20, 5:30 pm, Off-site

Meet for 5:30 dinner at Michael’s Restaurant, 4041 Urbandale Ave.  Please let Lora Evans know one way or the other if you plan to attend so she can make reservations. Lora’s phone number is 515-279-3619. The August book is “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen.  Life and love in a third rate circus during the Great Depression.

The September book is “The Lost Painting” by Jonathan Harr. Contact Theresa Miller at 515-720-2614 or millerta@wellmark.com.

Welcome Home Wednesdays
Yoga and childcare are postponed till September 24.

     6:45-7:45 Meditation Group: Join Gary Keast and Denise Daniels for a weekly mediation group.  Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

     If you would be willing to volunteer with any of these programming events for adults or youth for the fall, please contact Mary Reinsmoen at administrator@ucdsm.org or 515-244-8603 x 101.

September will mark the beginning of a new initiative for hospitality at First Unitarian.   Currently, we are seeking members who would be glad to help, as part of a team, five times a   year with greeting and/or ushering and/or making coffee or bringing treats. If you have not been contacted and would like to help, please look for the sign-up sheets at a table in the gathering area.  Working on one of these teams is an easy way to make connections with eight to twelve people you may or may not already know.  Please consider! Contact Ellen Taylor at eltaylor@dwx.com or 277-9715 or Marge Graves at mgraves@iowatelecom.net or 641-792-8339.

* * * * ADULT UU CONTINUING EDUCATION * * * *

Energy and Justice For All, August 24, 10:15 am, Mary Safford Room. Explore the link between climate change, energy and justice; then work with us to help turn the world away from disaster. Contact Jon Knapp McAlister at 515-961-2524 or jandjmcalister@hotmail.com.

First Unitarian Summer RE Programming:

“Caring for our planet earth, the home we share with all living things.” We are focusing on the 7th Principle, Respect for the Interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Most activities will be outside, weather permitting. Please be sure that your children wear appropriate clothing and wear sunscreen or insect repellant, if needed. Children will still be going to service with families and sung out with a Children's Benediction.
               Also, we still need teachers and parent volunteers to assist. Please contact Tracy Beck, RE Programming, 515-633-2289 or yellowtracycat@yahoo.com.

If there are parents who are needing a resource for how to talk to their children about the recent event in Tennessee, here is one the UUA Trauma and Response Team suggests.

http://www.naeyc.org/ece/2003/01.asp.

There will be no discussion of the situation in RE Today. Thank you, Tracy Beck

As a reminder, we ask that you refrain from bringing beverages (except for water) and/or food into the Auditorium during Religious Services.