By Rev. Rod Richards – Read by Mike Brown

The opening words are from The Tao by Lao-Tse:

Before creation a presence existed,
self-contained, complete, formless, voiceless, mateless, changeless,
which yet pervaded itself with unending motherhood.

Though there can be no name for it, I have called it the “way of life.”

Perhaps I should have called it “the fullness of life,”
since fullness implies widening into space,
implies still further widening,
implies widening until the circle is whole.

In this sense the way of life is fulfilled…

People rounding the way of earth, Earth rounding the way of heaven,
Heaven rounding the way of life till the circle is full.

Drum Circle #3
Composed and Performed Extemporaneously by the First UU Choir and Friends
Permission Granted

Kaki Lambe Intro – Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation

Kaki Lambe
Traditional Senegalese Folk Song
Arranged by Brian Tate Copyright 2005 Pavane Publishing
Performed by the First UU Choir and Luke Prescott
Permission Granted

Love Will Guide Us
Lyrics: Sally Rogers
Music: 19th Century English Hymn
Arrangement: UUA
Permission Granted
Performed by Eva Riebold and Marilyn Day

Circle ‘Round for Freedom
Music and Lyrics by Linda Hirschhorn
Performed by Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout
Permission Granted

The closing words are by Rev Rod Richards.

You won’t be alone, we’ll be side by side with one another, with people yet to come, with partners we have yet to meet, creating ever-widening, perfectly imperfect, precisely imprecise, circles and ovals and oblong things of beauty as we practice sacred flexibility, welcoming love and healing pain and demanding justice and saving lives. Go forth and make some new shapes.