1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,408 2 00:00:11,408 --> 00:02:33,920 ["GATHERED HERE"] 3 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:36,300 Ann Watson Born: "How Can We Keep From Singing?" 4 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:39,150 Robert Lowry's tune from 1869, also known 5 00:02:39,150 --> 00:02:41,470 as "My Life Flows On." 6 00:02:41,470 --> 00:02:44,020 It's familiar to so many, that it's often 7 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:46,260 thought to come out of the aural tradition. 8 00:02:46,260 --> 00:02:49,140 The famous third verse is by Doris Plenn, 9 00:02:49,140 --> 00:02:53,631 who taught it to her friend Pete Seeger around 1950. 10 00:02:53,631 --> 00:05:05,100 ["MY LIFE FLOWS ON IN ENDLESS SONG"] 11 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:07,450 Now, let's raise the roof with the song 12 00:05:07,450 --> 00:05:10,290 "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah," named "Sojourner" 13 00:05:10,290 --> 00:05:13,410 in honor of Sojourner Truth, the abolitionist and women's rights 14 00:05:13,410 --> 00:05:14,859 activist. 15 00:05:14,859 --> 00:07:22,330 ["GLORY, GLORY, HALLELUJA"] 16 00:07:22,330 --> 00:07:24,490 And now for a different alleluia, 17 00:07:24,490 --> 00:07:27,240 from the glorious hymn, "For All the Saints," 18 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,460 a song that has a long and treasured history 19 00:07:29,460 --> 00:07:32,672 with this service. 20 00:07:32,672 --> 00:09:55,020 ["FOR ALL THE SAINTS"] 21 00:09:55,020 --> 00:09:57,330 Let's let our wonderful GA band raise 22 00:09:57,330 --> 00:09:59,565 the roof with all their stops out, 23 00:09:59,565 --> 00:10:02,240 as we sing our final song, the rousing spiritual, 24 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,388 "Come and Go With Me." 25 00:10:04,388 --> 00:13:21,992 ["COME AND GO WITH ME"] 26 00:13:21,992 --> 00:13:26,107 Rev. Sarah Lammert: Welcome to the 53rd Service 27 00:13:26,107 --> 00:13:28,981 of the Living Tradition. 28 00:13:28,981 --> 00:13:34,730 [APPLAUSE] 29 00:13:34,730 --> 00:13:38,310 Welcome to those who are present here in Providence, 30 00:13:38,310 --> 00:13:41,470 and to those who are joining us virtually 31 00:13:41,470 --> 00:13:46,250 from across our nation and across our globe. 32 00:13:46,250 --> 00:13:49,320 Welcome to the families of the ministers 33 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:54,240 we have lost in this last year, that we are honoring tonight, 34 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,920 whose contributions to our faith were 35 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,160 many and splendid and strong. 36 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,480 Welcome to those of you attending 37 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,300 General Assembly for the very first time this year, who 38 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:13,820 join us in this ageless living celebration of all 39 00:14:13,820 --> 00:14:16,830 that we have been as Unitarian Universalists, 40 00:14:16,830 --> 00:14:21,040 and all that is possible for our faith. 41 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,160 Welcome to our ministers, religious educators, 42 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,400 and musicians, who have achieved various milestones 43 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,060 in your professional lives, those of you 44 00:14:30,060 --> 00:14:33,720 who are just beginning, those of you in the middle, 45 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,120 and those of you winding up long careers, for which we 46 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,960 are intensely grateful. 47 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,800 Welcome to the many lay leaders present, 48 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,350 who share the ministry with these professionals. 49 00:14:46,350 --> 00:14:50,160 Welcome to the youth and young adults here present. 50 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:56,670 [APPLAUSE] 51 00:14:56,670 --> 00:15:01,830 You are leaders of today whose commitment inspires us all. 52 00:15:01,830 --> 00:15:05,620 Welcome, members of our military, veterans, 53 00:15:05,620 --> 00:15:07,536 and their friends and families. 54 00:15:07,536 --> 00:15:14,310 [APPLAUSE] 55 00:15:14,310 --> 00:15:18,050 Tonight is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time 56 00:15:18,050 --> 00:15:19,840 that one of our military chaplains 57 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,090 will preach this service, a night 58 00:15:22,090 --> 00:15:25,870 to be noted and celebrated. 59 00:15:25,870 --> 00:15:28,380 Welcome to all the other religious professionals 60 00:15:28,380 --> 00:15:31,530 present, to our lay delegates, and our presenters. 61 00:15:31,530 --> 00:15:34,950 Welcome, one and all, as we gather here 62 00:15:34,950 --> 00:15:40,910 united in the mystery that is life and love and connection. 63 00:15:40,910 --> 00:15:43,840 As we now begin our calling forth, 64 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,770 you are invited to raise a glad noise as our honorees venture 65 00:15:48,770 --> 00:16:00,840 onto the stage. 66 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,910 Rev. Wayne Arnason: I call forth from among you 67 00:16:03,910 --> 00:16:08,650 these persons, who have received preliminary fellowship 68 00:16:08,650 --> 00:16:13,670 as Unitarian Universalist ministers. 69 00:16:13,670 --> 00:16:17,348 Summer Albayati-Krikeche. 70 00:16:17,348 --> 00:16:25,170 [APPLAUSE] 71 00:16:25,170 --> 00:16:27,540 Charlotte Arsenault. 72 00:16:27,540 --> 00:16:34,070 [APPLAUSE] 73 00:16:34,070 --> 00:16:36,380 Lara K-J Campbell. 74 00:16:36,380 --> 00:16:44,430 [APPLAUSE] 75 00:16:44,430 --> 00:16:46,676 Madelyn E. Campbell. 76 00:16:46,676 --> 00:16:53,630 [APPLAUSE] 77 00:16:53,630 --> 00:16:55,050 Joe Cherry. 78 00:16:55,050 --> 00:17:02,620 [APPLAUSE] 79 00:17:02,620 --> 00:17:04,912 Mary Frances Comer. 80 00:17:04,912 --> 00:17:11,800 [APPLAUSE] 81 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:13,400 Heather Concannon. 82 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:21,180 [APPLAUSE] 83 00:17:21,180 --> 00:17:22,680 Jason Cook. 84 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:29,480 [APPLAUSE] 85 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,840 Patrice K. Curtis. 86 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:39,390 [APPLAUSE] 87 00:17:39,390 --> 00:17:40,904 Beth Dana. 88 00:17:40,904 --> 00:17:47,820 [APPLAUSE] 89 00:17:47,820 --> 00:17:50,120 Jennifer S. Dant. 90 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:57,100 [APPLAUSE] 91 00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:58,940 Jorge Espinel. 92 00:17:58,940 --> 00:18:06,150 [APPLAUSE] 93 00:18:06,150 --> 00:18:07,810 James Field. 94 00:18:07,810 --> 00:18:14,310 [APPLAUSE] 95 00:18:14,310 --> 00:18:16,651 Anthony Grant Fisher. 96 00:18:16,651 --> 00:18:24,020 [APPLAUSE] 97 00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:25,443 Seth Fisher. 98 00:18:25,443 --> 00:18:33,500 [APPLAUSE] 99 00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:34,570 Jim Foti. 100 00:18:34,570 --> 00:18:42,510 [APPLAUSE] 101 00:18:42,510 --> 00:18:44,428 Jennifer Gray. 102 00:18:44,428 --> 00:18:52,090 [APPLAUSE] 103 00:18:52,090 --> 00:18:54,010 Henry Daniel Gregoire. 104 00:18:54,010 --> 00:19:03,230 [APPLAUSE] 105 00:19:03,230 --> 00:19:05,205 David L. Helfer. 106 00:19:05,205 --> 00:19:12,640 [APPLAUSE] 107 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,058 Christiane Heyde. 108 00:19:15,058 --> 00:19:22,320 [APPLAUSE] 109 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,462 Rebecca Hinds. 110 00:19:24,462 --> 00:19:32,350 [APPLAUSE] 111 00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:35,170 Joan Marie Javier-Duval. 112 00:19:35,170 --> 00:19:43,220 [APPLAUSE] 113 00:19:43,220 --> 00:19:45,190 Sarah Elizabeth Lenzi. 114 00:19:45,190 --> 00:19:53,730 [APPLAUSE] 115 00:19:53,730 --> 00:19:56,010 Emily Ann Hartnett Liefert. 116 00:19:56,010 --> 00:20:04,040 [APPLAUSE] 117 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,380 Marcus Hartnett Liefert. 118 00:20:06,380 --> 00:20:14,720 [APPLAUSE] 119 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:16,648 Jim Magaw. 120 00:20:16,648 --> 00:20:23,970 [APPLAUSE] 121 00:20:23,970 --> 00:20:26,389 Stephanie L. May. 122 00:20:26,389 --> 00:20:33,430 [APPLAUSE] 123 00:20:33,430 --> 00:20:35,795 Aidan Jacob McCormack. 124 00:20:35,795 --> 00:20:43,400 [APPLAUSE] 125 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,779 Andrew MacDonald Moeller. 126 00:20:45,779 --> 00:20:52,970 [APPLAUSE] 127 00:20:52,970 --> 00:20:54,650 Karen Mooney. 128 00:20:54,650 --> 00:21:03,760 [APPLAUSE] 129 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,382 Tisha L. Moore. 130 00:21:06,382 --> 00:21:13,530 [APPLAUSE] 131 00:21:13,530 --> 00:21:15,840 Sarah Keleher Napoline. 132 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:24,180 [APPLAUSE] 133 00:21:24,180 --> 00:21:26,324 Jennifer Nordstrom. 134 00:21:26,324 --> 00:21:33,740 [APPLAUSE] 135 00:21:33,740 --> 00:21:35,966 Samaya Oakley. 136 00:21:35,966 --> 00:21:42,780 [APPLAUSE] 137 00:21:42,780 --> 00:21:45,330 Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan. 138 00:21:45,330 --> 00:21:52,930 [APPLAUSE] 139 00:21:52,930 --> 00:21:55,594 Gaye Williams Ortiz. 140 00:21:55,594 --> 00:22:02,710 [APPLAUSE] 141 00:22:02,710 --> 00:22:04,431 Allison Palm. 142 00:22:04,431 --> 00:22:11,800 [APPLAUSE] 143 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,281 Patricia K. Palmer. 144 00:22:14,281 --> 00:22:21,020 [APPLAUSE] 145 00:22:21,020 --> 00:22:22,780 Gregory S. Pelley. 146 00:22:22,780 --> 00:22:31,230 [APPLAUSE] 147 00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:33,380 Karen Margaret Quinlan. 148 00:22:33,380 --> 00:22:41,380 [APPLAUSE] 149 00:22:41,380 --> 00:22:42,840 Donna Renfro. 150 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:50,530 [APPLAUSE] 151 00:22:50,530 --> 00:22:52,944 Sarah C. Richards. 152 00:22:52,944 --> 00:22:59,240 [APPLAUSE] 153 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:00,850 Amy Rowland. 154 00:23:00,850 --> 00:23:08,120 [APPLAUSE] 155 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:10,210 Lee Marie Sanchez. 156 00:23:10,210 --> 00:23:18,730 [APPLAUSE] 157 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:20,640 Tandy Wilkins Scheffler. 158 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:28,430 [APPLAUSE] 159 00:23:28,430 --> 00:23:30,540 Christian Schmidt. 160 00:23:30,540 --> 00:23:37,900 [APPLAUSE] 161 00:23:37,900 --> 00:23:40,133 Catie Scudera. 162 00:23:40,133 --> 00:23:48,520 [APPLAUSE] 163 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,680 Christina Shu. 164 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:58,030 [APPLAUSE] 165 00:23:58,030 --> 00:24:00,414 Kelly L. Spahr. 166 00:24:00,414 --> 00:24:07,330 [APPLAUSE] 167 00:24:07,330 --> 00:24:09,935 Eva Morgan Stevens. 168 00:24:09,935 --> 00:24:16,870 [APPLAUSE] 169 00:24:16,870 --> 00:24:19,000 Kevin Tarsa. 170 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:26,770 [APPLAUSE] 171 00:24:26,770 --> 00:24:28,590 Duncan E. Teague. 172 00:24:28,590 --> 00:24:37,710 [APPLAUSE] 173 00:24:37,710 --> 00:24:39,867 Abbey S. Tennis. 174 00:24:39,867 --> 00:24:47,990 [APPLAUSE] 175 00:24:47,990 --> 00:24:50,380 Gretchen E. Weis. 176 00:24:50,380 --> 00:24:57,740 [APPLAUSE] 177 00:24:57,740 --> 00:25:00,395 Margaret L. Weis. 178 00:25:00,395 --> 00:25:07,050 [APPLAUSE] 179 00:25:07,050 --> 00:25:10,012 Amy Williams Clark. 180 00:25:10,012 --> 00:25:32,630 [APPLAUSE] 181 00:25:32,630 --> 00:25:34,700 Tandy Scheffler: I call forth from among you 182 00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:38,270 these persons, who have completed the credentialing 183 00:25:38,270 --> 00:25:41,990 process for master's level certification 184 00:25:41,990 --> 00:25:44,520 in religious education. 185 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,451 Sarah Lewis. 186 00:25:46,451 --> 00:25:53,130 [APPLAUSE] 187 00:25:53,130 --> 00:25:57,200 I call forth from among you these persons, 188 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,960 who have been certified as credentialed religious 189 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:02,730 educators. 190 00:26:02,730 --> 00:26:05,190 Patricia Hall Infante. 191 00:26:05,190 --> 00:26:12,240 [APPLAUSE] 192 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,250 Kimberly Paquette. 193 00:26:14,250 --> 00:26:20,630 [APPLAUSE] 194 00:26:20,630 --> 00:26:22,920 Robin M. Pugh. 195 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:28,860 [APPLAUSE] 196 00:26:28,860 --> 00:26:30,768 Linda Weaver. 197 00:26:30,768 --> 00:26:36,860 [APPLAUSE] 198 00:26:36,860 --> 00:26:41,190 I call forth from among you these persons, 199 00:26:41,190 --> 00:26:45,430 who have completed their careers of full-time service 200 00:26:45,430 --> 00:26:50,300 as credentialed religious educators, master's level. 201 00:26:50,300 --> 00:26:51,410 Jan Devor. 202 00:26:51,410 --> 00:26:58,410 [APPLAUSE] 203 00:26:58,410 --> 00:27:00,284 Julie Porter. 204 00:27:00,284 --> 00:27:09,180 [APPLAUSE] 205 00:27:09,180 --> 00:27:11,360 Mary Neumann: I call forth from among you 206 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:15,910 these persons, who have been certified as credentialed music 207 00:27:15,910 --> 00:27:17,690 leaders. 208 00:27:17,690 --> 00:27:19,850 Carmen Buford-Page. 209 00:27:19,850 --> 00:27:24,480 [APPLAUSE] 210 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,717 Mavis Cauffman. 211 00:27:26,717 --> 00:27:30,700 [APPLAUSE] 212 00:27:30,700 --> 00:27:32,448 Amber Fetner. 213 00:27:32,448 --> 00:27:37,330 [APPLAUSE] 214 00:27:37,330 --> 00:27:39,820 Bertram Gulhaugen. 215 00:27:39,820 --> 00:27:44,320 [APPLAUSE] 216 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:45,948 Wally Kleucker. 217 00:27:45,948 --> 00:27:51,100 [APPLAUSE] 218 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:53,400 Elizabeth Henderson Norton. 219 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:59,100 [APPLAUSE] 220 00:27:59,100 --> 00:28:01,201 And Ellie Rolnick. 221 00:28:01,201 --> 00:28:25,780 [APPLAUSE] 222 00:28:25,780 --> 00:28:28,120 Rev. Wayne Arnason: I call forth from among you 223 00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:33,680 these persons, who have received final fellowship as Unitarian 224 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,860 Universalist ministers. 225 00:28:36,860 --> 00:28:39,020 Margaret Haynes Allen. 226 00:28:39,020 --> 00:28:48,170 [APPLAUSE] 227 00:28:48,170 --> 00:28:50,249 Wendy Bartel. 228 00:28:50,249 --> 00:28:57,240 [APPLAUSE] 229 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:59,665 Kathleen Baughman. 230 00:28:59,665 --> 00:29:05,840 [APPLAUSE] 231 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,560 Leslie Becknell Marx. 232 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:14,280 [APPLAUSE] 233 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,417 Lora Brandis. 234 00:29:16,417 --> 00:29:22,890 [APPLAUSE] 235 00:29:22,890 --> 00:29:25,456 Erik David Carlson. 236 00:29:25,456 --> 00:29:31,650 [APPLAUSE] 237 00:29:31,650 --> 00:29:33,386 Peggy Clarke. 238 00:29:33,386 --> 00:29:40,190 [APPLAUSE] 239 00:29:40,190 --> 00:29:42,471 Jill Ardith Cowie. 240 00:29:42,471 --> 00:29:49,850 [APPLAUSE] 241 00:29:49,850 --> 00:29:52,390 Jeanelyse Doran Adams. 242 00:29:52,390 --> 00:30:00,150 [APPLAUSE] 243 00:30:00,150 --> 00:30:02,665 Jacqueline Kay Duhart. 244 00:30:02,665 --> 00:30:11,230 [APPLAUSE] 245 00:30:11,230 --> 00:30:13,045 Todd Eklof. 246 00:30:13,045 --> 00:30:18,870 [APPLAUSE] 247 00:30:18,870 --> 00:30:21,392 Kathryn Ellis. 248 00:30:21,392 --> 00:30:28,000 [APPLAUSE] 249 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,130 Carmen Emerson. 250 00:30:30,130 --> 00:30:36,720 [APPLAUSE] 251 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,384 Alison Wilbur Eskildsen. 252 00:30:39,384 --> 00:30:46,030 [APPLAUSE] 253 00:30:46,030 --> 00:30:48,152 Brian M. Ferguson. 254 00:30:48,152 --> 00:30:55,870 [APPLAUSE] 255 00:30:55,870 --> 00:30:58,282 Kathleen C. Fowler. 256 00:30:58,282 --> 00:31:05,030 [APPLAUSE] 257 00:31:05,030 --> 00:31:06,802 Lynn Gardner. 258 00:31:06,802 --> 00:31:15,740 [APPLAUSE] 259 00:31:15,740 --> 00:31:17,706 Mark Glovin. 260 00:31:17,706 --> 00:31:25,110 [APPLAUSE] 261 00:31:25,110 --> 00:31:27,768 Leah Hart-Landsberg. 262 00:31:27,768 --> 00:31:34,740 [APPLAUSE] 263 00:31:34,740 --> 00:31:37,164 Angela Herrera. 264 00:31:37,164 --> 00:31:44,130 [APPLAUSE] 265 00:31:44,130 --> 00:31:46,342 David M. Horst. 266 00:31:46,342 --> 00:31:52,600 [APPLAUSE] 267 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,606 Karen Hutt. 268 00:31:54,606 --> 00:32:00,960 [APPLAUSE] 269 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,171 Eric Charles Kaminetzky. 270 00:32:03,171 --> 00:32:11,350 [APPLAUSE] 271 00:32:11,350 --> 00:32:13,238 Andrew Karlson. 272 00:32:13,238 --> 00:32:20,210 [APPLAUSE] 273 00:32:20,210 --> 00:32:22,595 Kathryn E. Kennedy. 274 00:32:22,595 --> 00:32:28,910 [APPLAUSE] 275 00:32:28,910 --> 00:32:31,193 Earl W. Koteen. 276 00:32:31,193 --> 00:32:38,930 [APPLAUSE] 277 00:32:38,930 --> 00:32:42,132 Jonipher Kupono Kwong. 278 00:32:42,132 --> 00:32:50,970 [APPLAUSE] 279 00:32:50,970 --> 00:32:53,301 Julianne C. Lepp. 280 00:32:53,301 --> 00:33:00,040 [APPLAUSE] 281 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,207 Michael Leuchtenberger. 282 00:33:02,207 --> 00:33:10,500 [APPLAUSE] 283 00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:12,052 Tera Little. 284 00:33:12,052 --> 00:33:19,780 [APPLAUSE] 285 00:33:19,780 --> 00:33:21,961 Tony Lorenzen. 286 00:33:21,961 --> 00:33:27,860 [APPLAUSE] 287 00:33:27,860 --> 00:33:30,500 Julia Russell McKay. 288 00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:36,460 [APPLAUSE] 289 00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:38,604 Kent C. McKusick. 290 00:33:38,604 --> 00:33:45,720 [APPLAUSE] 291 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,678 Emily Melcher. 292 00:33:47,678 --> 00:33:55,100 [APPLAUSE] 293 00:33:55,100 --> 00:33:57,540 Andrew Clive Millard. 294 00:33:57,540 --> 00:34:04,260 [APPLAUSE] 295 00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:06,710 Ernest L. Mills, Jr. 296 00:34:06,710 --> 00:34:13,210 [APPLAUSE] 297 00:34:13,210 --> 00:34:15,482 Melissa Mummert. 298 00:34:15,482 --> 00:34:21,670 [APPLAUSE] 299 00:34:21,670 --> 00:34:23,940 Jeremy D. Nickel. 300 00:34:23,940 --> 00:34:31,750 [APPLAUSE] 301 00:34:31,750 --> 00:34:34,494 Frank Placone-Willey. 302 00:34:34,494 --> 00:34:42,090 [APPLAUSE] 303 00:34:42,090 --> 00:34:43,649 David Pyle. 304 00:34:43,649 --> 00:34:52,760 [APPLAUSE] 305 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,009 Qiyamah A. Rahman. 306 00:34:55,009 --> 00:35:04,000 [APPLAUSE] 307 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,278 Nori J. Rost. 308 00:35:06,278 --> 00:35:13,120 [APPLAUSE] 309 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:13,840 Renee Ruchotzke. 310 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:14,857 Husky 311 00:35:14,857 --> 00:35:23,310 [APPLAUSE] 312 00:35:23,310 --> 00:35:25,537 John L. Saxon. 313 00:35:25,537 --> 00:35:32,500 [APPLAUSE] 314 00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:35,006 Sarah Movius Schurr. 315 00:35:35,006 --> 00:35:41,820 [APPLAUSE] 316 00:35:41,820 --> 00:35:43,678 Jeannie Shero. 317 00:35:43,678 --> 00:35:50,030 [APPLAUSE] 318 00:35:50,030 --> 00:35:52,150 Christina Maria Sillari. 319 00:35:52,150 --> 00:36:02,400 [APPLAUSE] 320 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,219 Lauren Smith. 321 00:36:04,219 --> 00:36:10,930 [APPLAUSE] 322 00:36:10,930 --> 00:36:12,876 Bruce Taylor. 323 00:36:12,876 --> 00:36:19,230 [APPLAUSE] 324 00:36:19,230 --> 00:36:20,782 Pamela Wat. 325 00:36:20,782 --> 00:36:27,400 [APPLAUSE] 326 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,320 Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson. 327 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:38,830 [APPLAUSE] 328 00:36:38,830 --> 00:36:41,020 Kate Wilkinson. 329 00:36:41,020 --> 00:36:54,694 [APPLAUSE] 330 00:36:54,694 --> 00:36:56,860 Rev. Richard S. Gilbert: I call forth from among you 331 00:36:56,860 --> 00:36:59,970 those persons were completed their careers of full time 332 00:36:59,970 --> 00:37:01,890 service. 333 00:37:01,890 --> 00:37:04,340 Jim Anderson. 334 00:37:04,340 --> 00:37:09,520 [APPLAUSE] 335 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,200 Helen C. Holly Baylies. 336 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:17,780 [APPLAUSE] 337 00:37:17,780 --> 00:37:20,180 Randolph William Bishop Becker. 338 00:37:20,180 --> 00:37:25,590 [APPLAUSE] 339 00:37:25,590 --> 00:37:28,453 Emmy Lou Belcher. 340 00:37:28,453 --> 00:37:33,660 [APPLAUSE] 341 00:37:33,660 --> 00:37:35,600 Michelle W. Bentley. 342 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:41,940 [APPLAUSE] 343 00:37:41,940 --> 00:37:44,726 Daniel S. Brosier. 344 00:37:44,726 --> 00:37:49,590 [APPLAUSE] 345 00:37:49,590 --> 00:37:51,859 Terry Burke. 346 00:37:51,859 --> 00:37:57,600 [APPLAUSE] 347 00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,856 Nancee Campbell. 348 00:37:59,856 --> 00:38:04,720 [APPLAUSE] 349 00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:06,570 Bruce Davis. 350 00:38:06,570 --> 00:38:12,030 [APPLAUSE] 351 00:38:12,030 --> 00:38:14,401 Danielle Assunta Di Bona. 352 00:38:14,401 --> 00:38:20,660 [APPLAUSE] 353 00:38:20,660 --> 00:38:23,321 Claudia Elferdink. 354 00:38:23,321 --> 00:38:28,510 [APPLAUSE] 355 00:38:28,510 --> 00:38:31,059 Julia Older Fankuchen. 356 00:38:31,059 --> 00:38:35,950 [APPLAUSE] 357 00:38:35,950 --> 00:38:37,690 Wendy Fitting. 358 00:38:37,690 --> 00:38:43,720 [APPLAUSE] 359 00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:46,432 Sandra D. Fitz-Henry. 360 00:38:46,432 --> 00:38:53,050 [APPLAUSE] 361 00:38:53,050 --> 00:38:55,636 Cynthia A. Frado. 362 00:38:55,636 --> 00:39:00,200 [APPLAUSE] 363 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,170 Neil W. Gerdes. 364 00:39:02,170 --> 00:39:08,650 [APPLAUSE] 365 00:39:08,650 --> 00:39:11,162 Brendan Hadash. 366 00:39:11,162 --> 00:39:15,590 [APPLAUSE] 367 00:39:15,590 --> 00:39:17,360 Frank Hall. 368 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:22,530 [APPLAUSE] 369 00:39:22,530 --> 00:39:24,500 Dennis Hamilton. 370 00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:29,030 [APPLAUSE] 371 00:39:29,030 --> 00:39:31,817 Barbara Ann Hamilton-Holway. 372 00:39:31,817 --> 00:39:37,890 [APPLAUSE] 373 00:39:37,890 --> 00:39:39,810 Bill Hamilton-Holway. 374 00:39:39,810 --> 00:39:46,890 [APPLAUSE] 375 00:39:46,890 --> 00:39:49,390 Linda Hansen. 376 00:39:49,390 --> 00:39:54,190 [APPLAUSE] 377 00:39:54,190 --> 00:39:56,601 Barbro M. Hansson. 378 00:39:56,601 --> 00:40:02,010 [APPLAUSE] 379 00:40:02,010 --> 00:40:04,246 Marni P. Harmony. 380 00:40:04,246 --> 00:40:09,710 [APPLAUSE] 381 00:40:09,710 --> 00:40:12,354 Mary Chulak Higgins. 382 00:40:12,354 --> 00:40:17,100 [APPLAUSE] 383 00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:19,645 Robert L. Hill. 384 00:40:19,645 --> 00:40:24,870 [APPLAUSE] 385 00:40:24,870 --> 00:40:27,604 Anne Felton Hines. 386 00:40:27,604 --> 00:40:32,550 [APPLAUSE] 387 00:40:32,550 --> 00:40:34,826 Annie Holmes. 388 00:40:34,826 --> 00:40:39,690 [APPLAUSE] 389 00:40:39,690 --> 00:40:41,490 Olivia Holmes. 390 00:40:41,490 --> 00:40:48,230 [APPLAUSE] 391 00:40:48,230 --> 00:40:51,100 Christine Jaronski. 392 00:40:51,100 --> 00:40:55,810 [APPLAUSE] 393 00:40:55,810 --> 00:40:58,199 Janet B. Johnson. 394 00:40:58,199 --> 00:41:02,890 [APPLAUSE] 395 00:41:02,890 --> 00:41:04,742 Drew Kennedy. 396 00:41:04,742 --> 00:41:10,530 [APPLAUSE] 397 00:41:10,530 --> 00:41:12,555 Doug Kraft. 398 00:41:12,555 --> 00:41:18,140 [APPLAUSE] 399 00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:20,162 Ginger Luke. 400 00:41:20,162 --> 00:41:25,580 [APPLAUSE] 401 00:41:25,580 --> 00:41:27,932 Carol D. Meyer. 402 00:41:27,932 --> 00:41:32,860 [APPLAUSE] 403 00:41:32,860 --> 00:41:34,885 Martha Niebanck. 404 00:41:34,885 --> 00:41:40,220 [APPLAUSE] 405 00:41:40,220 --> 00:41:42,130 Olav F. Nieuwejaar. 406 00:41:42,130 --> 00:41:48,050 [APPLAUSE] 407 00:41:48,050 --> 00:41:50,130 Phyllis B. O'Connell. 408 00:41:50,130 --> 00:41:58,240 [APPLAUSE] 409 00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:01,062 Edward Piper. 410 00:42:01,062 --> 00:42:06,420 [APPLAUSE] 411 00:42:06,420 --> 00:42:08,510 Susan Veronica Rak. 412 00:42:08,510 --> 00:42:15,150 [APPLAUSE] 413 00:42:15,150 --> 00:42:17,564 Carol Sampson Rudisill. 414 00:42:17,564 --> 00:42:23,000 [APPLAUSE] 415 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,513 Marc A. Salkin. 416 00:42:25,513 --> 00:42:30,150 [APPLAUSE] 417 00:42:30,150 --> 00:42:32,516 Thomas Schade. 418 00:42:32,516 --> 00:42:38,580 [APPLAUSE] 419 00:42:38,580 --> 00:42:40,610 Marcia Schekel. 420 00:42:40,610 --> 00:42:45,610 [APPLAUSE] 421 00:42:45,610 --> 00:42:47,953 Stephen M. Shick. 422 00:42:47,953 --> 00:42:53,880 [APPLAUSE] 423 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,220 Judith Smith-Valley. 424 00:42:56,220 --> 00:43:01,020 [APPLAUSE] 425 00:43:01,020 --> 00:43:02,932 Paul Sprecher. 426 00:43:02,932 --> 00:43:09,200 [APPLAUSE] 427 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:10,690 Arvid Straube. 428 00:43:10,690 --> 00:43:18,210 [APPLAUSE] 429 00:43:18,210 --> 00:43:20,517 Arline Conan Sutherland. 430 00:43:20,517 --> 00:43:26,370 [APPLAUSE] 431 00:43:26,370 --> 00:43:28,140 Matt Tittle. 432 00:43:28,140 --> 00:43:33,320 [APPLAUSE] 433 00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:35,692 John Paul Ware. 434 00:43:35,692 --> 00:43:40,830 [APPLAUSE] 435 00:43:40,830 --> 00:43:43,593 Susan K. Weickum. 436 00:43:43,593 --> 00:43:48,690 [APPLAUSE] 437 00:43:48,690 --> 00:43:50,830 Barry Thomas Whittemore. 438 00:43:50,830 --> 00:43:56,670 [APPLAUSE] 439 00:43:56,670 --> 00:43:59,560 Valerie T. Wills. 440 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:04,480 [APPLAUSE] 441 00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:06,820 Carol Marie Wolff. 442 00:44:06,820 --> 00:44:11,620 [APPLAUSE] 443 00:44:11,620 --> 00:44:14,285 Carole Robinson Yorke. 444 00:44:14,285 --> 00:44:18,840 [APPLAUSE] 445 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,699 Sarah Emma Zimmerman. 446 00:44:21,699 --> 00:44:46,690 [APPLAUSE] 447 00:44:46,690 --> 00:44:48,530 Robert Alexander Jenson: As we gather here 448 00:44:48,530 --> 00:44:52,270 in this space, made holy by our presence, 449 00:44:52,270 --> 00:44:58,060 let us be tested in our hearts and minds. 450 00:44:58,060 --> 00:45:06,510 As one faith, we reach out, with arms outstretched in love. 451 00:45:06,510 --> 00:45:10,920 Love reaches out in a small smile or a gentle wave-- 452 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,960 a love that grips the core of a person's being 453 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:18,610 and it validates their inherent worth and dignity. 454 00:45:18,610 --> 00:45:23,170 Love reaches out in areas ravaged by storms and war, 455 00:45:23,170 --> 00:45:25,060 where the cries of the hopeless are 456 00:45:25,060 --> 00:45:30,630 met with compassion and justice. 457 00:45:30,630 --> 00:45:33,380 Love reaches out in our congregations, 458 00:45:33,380 --> 00:45:36,920 where a person may freely search for what they find and know it 459 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:40,850 to be true, free from the persecution of intolerance 460 00:45:40,850 --> 00:45:43,400 and bigotry. 461 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:45,760 Love reaches out in our communities, 462 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,230 as we give meaning to the opinions of others, 463 00:45:48,230 --> 00:45:53,990 regardless if we call these opinions our own. 464 00:45:53,990 --> 00:45:58,590 Love reaches out in this nation as, state by state, 465 00:45:58,590 --> 00:46:02,620 laws designed to keep same-sex marriages banned, 466 00:46:02,620 --> 00:46:07,690 families separated, and children and adults alike alienated 467 00:46:07,690 --> 00:46:17,790 by their own identity, are struck down. 468 00:46:17,790 --> 00:46:21,570 Love reaches out in our world, when progressive measures are 469 00:46:21,570 --> 00:46:25,010 passed in order to bring about more compassionate reform 470 00:46:25,010 --> 00:46:27,850 in our immigration process, our ideal 471 00:46:27,850 --> 00:46:33,500 hope for a world community with peace, liberty, and justice 472 00:46:33,500 --> 00:46:40,280 for each person. 473 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:45,780 And most importantly, loves begins in us. 474 00:46:45,780 --> 00:46:48,910 Let ours be a faith of inclusion, 475 00:46:48,910 --> 00:46:52,650 a tradition rich in the solidarity with all, 476 00:46:52,650 --> 00:46:56,420 while many stand separately. 477 00:46:56,420 --> 00:47:00,230 Where there is no hope, may each of our spirits shine, 478 00:47:00,230 --> 00:47:03,640 a chalice in the dark veil of night. 479 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:06,510 May it be known that a vast array of colors 480 00:47:06,510 --> 00:47:10,210 from the stained-glass window of the universe, those seen 481 00:47:10,210 --> 00:47:15,190 and unseen, can be found in this space. 482 00:47:15,190 --> 00:47:20,550 And above all else, may it be known that love, no matter how, 483 00:47:20,550 --> 00:47:24,180 where, or why, reaches out. 484 00:47:24,180 --> 00:47:27,040 Amen. 485 00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:29,560 Please rise in body or spirit, and join us 486 00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:35,376 in singing "Rank by Rank, Again We Stand." 487 00:47:35,376 --> 00:50:47,560 ["RANK BY RANK"] 488 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: Please be seated. 489 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:03,920 Rev. Charles Antal: I wrote these words in Afghanistan. 490 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:10,040 In honor of a small fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 491 00:51:10,040 --> 00:51:17,970 I was privileged to serve at Kandahar Airfield. 492 00:51:17,970 --> 00:51:25,370 First to light up the night and to feed the soul's delight. 493 00:51:25,370 --> 00:51:32,240 Here the chalice burns bright and burns strong. 494 00:51:32,240 --> 00:51:38,160 Using all our reason, building till the dream is done, 495 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:45,080 here the chalice burns bright and burns strong. 496 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:52,920 Open minds from the start, helping hands, loving heart. 497 00:51:52,920 --> 00:52:00,230 Here the chalice burns bright and burns strong. 498 00:52:00,230 --> 00:52:04,430 Free from creed, dogma, too. 499 00:52:04,430 --> 00:52:08,760 Principles to guide us through. 500 00:52:08,760 --> 00:53:40,327 Here the chalice burns bright and burns strong. 501 00:53:40,327 --> 00:56:01,097 ["THE SIZE OF YOUR HEART"] 502 00:56:01,097 --> 00:56:02,680 Rev. Peter Morales: Each year we honor 503 00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:08,020 those whose legacy is the ministry of our faith. 504 00:56:08,020 --> 00:56:11,100 As we have for generations, we will 505 00:56:11,100 --> 00:56:16,970 read the names of those who died during the last year. 506 00:56:16,970 --> 00:56:21,130 To live is to create a legacy. 507 00:56:21,130 --> 00:56:24,090 The legacy of these men and women 508 00:56:24,090 --> 00:56:27,830 are acts of love and service. 509 00:56:27,830 --> 00:56:32,570 Although much of ministry is public, more of it 510 00:56:32,570 --> 00:56:35,920 is private and hidden from view. 511 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:42,810 Ministry is countless acts of comfort, nurture, listening, 512 00:56:42,810 --> 00:56:48,530 counseling, and conversations that are never seen. 513 00:56:48,530 --> 00:56:52,210 As I call the roll of those ministers who have died, 514 00:56:52,210 --> 00:56:55,460 let us rise in body or spirit and hold 515 00:56:55,460 --> 00:57:05,830 the memory of their ministries in our hearts. 516 00:57:05,830 --> 00:57:10,900 Elinor Artman. 517 00:57:10,900 --> 00:57:17,260 Richard E. Benner. 518 00:57:17,260 --> 00:57:23,430 Suzanne T. Black. 519 00:57:23,430 --> 00:57:28,730 Ira Gregg Carter. 520 00:57:28,730 --> 00:57:34,430 Albert F. Ciarcia. 521 00:57:34,430 --> 00:57:39,440 Phillip R. Giles. 522 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:44,660 Frederick E. Gillis. 523 00:57:44,660 --> 00:57:49,730 William H. Houff. 524 00:57:49,730 --> 00:57:54,900 Gordon B. McKeeman. 525 00:57:54,900 --> 00:58:00,060 Margo R. McKenna. 526 00:58:00,060 --> 00:58:05,320 Edgar C. Peara. 527 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:16,820 Charles O. Richardson, Jr. Andrew G. Rosenberger. 528 00:58:16,820 --> 00:58:22,130 John David Scheyer. 529 00:58:22,130 --> 00:58:33,170 Herbert F. Vetter, Jr. Arthur D. Wilmot. 530 00:58:33,170 --> 00:58:48,919 Georgette I. Wonders. 531 00:58:48,919 --> 00:58:55,410 Please be seated. 532 00:58:55,410 --> 00:59:02,460 And please join me in a spirit of prayer. 533 00:59:02,460 --> 00:59:09,480 Spirit of life and love that lives within us and among us, 534 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:12,830 let us feel your presence. 535 00:59:12,830 --> 00:59:18,340 We mourn the loss of these good ministers. 536 00:59:18,340 --> 00:59:21,600 We have lost dear friends. 537 00:59:21,600 --> 00:59:28,360 We have lost individuals who mentored us, inspired us, 538 00:59:28,360 --> 00:59:31,150 consoled us. 539 00:59:31,150 --> 00:59:36,990 Nevermore will we hear their voices, feel their touch, 540 00:59:36,990 --> 00:59:41,720 see their smiles, or converse with them. 541 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:46,630 May we be filled with profound gratitude for their lives. 542 00:59:46,630 --> 00:59:50,270 They kept the faith. 543 00:59:50,270 --> 00:59:55,640 They stood on the side of love, year after year. 544 00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:57,660 They worked for justice. 545 00:59:57,660 --> 01:00:00,840 They handed on a precious tradition. 546 01:00:00,840 --> 01:00:05,830 Their lives continue to inspire us, and to give us hope. 547 01:00:05,830 --> 01:00:10,070 May we be worthy heirs of their legacy. 548 01:00:10,070 --> 01:00:13,400 The work of love is not done. 549 01:00:13,400 --> 01:00:18,150 Their ministries are now our ministries. 550 01:00:18,150 --> 01:00:21,500 We pray for consolation, for those closest 551 01:00:21,500 --> 01:00:23,390 to these departed. 552 01:00:23,390 --> 01:00:26,210 May they feel our compassion. 553 01:00:26,210 --> 01:00:29,270 May they find comfort. 554 01:00:29,270 --> 01:00:35,560 Now, in silence, let each of us honor those who have passed, 555 01:00:35,560 --> 01:01:37,275 and reflect on our place in this living faith. 556 01:01:37,275 --> 01:04:01,492 ["TO MY OLD BROWN EARTH"] 557 01:04:01,492 --> 01:04:02,950 Rev. Carolyn Patierno: In the midst 558 01:04:02,950 --> 01:04:06,830 of a world marked by tragedy and beauty, 559 01:04:06,830 --> 01:04:09,200 there must be those who bear witness 560 01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:15,220 against unnecessary destruction and who, with faith, stand 561 01:04:15,220 --> 01:04:20,990 and lead in freedom with grace and power. 562 01:04:20,990 --> 01:04:24,600 There must be those who speak honestly 563 01:04:24,600 --> 01:04:28,570 and who do not avoid seeing what must be seen of sorrow 564 01:04:28,570 --> 01:04:36,090 and outrage, or tenderness and wonder. 565 01:04:36,090 --> 01:04:40,820 There must be those whose grief troubles the water, while their 566 01:04:40,820 --> 01:04:47,640 are voices sing and speak of refreshed worlds. 567 01:04:47,640 --> 01:04:49,860 There must be those whose exuberance 568 01:04:49,860 --> 01:04:57,990 rises with lovely energy that articulates Earth's joys. 569 01:04:57,990 --> 01:05:01,090 There must be those who are restless 570 01:05:01,090 --> 01:05:04,220 for respectful and loving companionship 571 01:05:04,220 --> 01:05:08,630 among human beings, whose presence invites people 572 01:05:08,630 --> 01:05:13,620 to be themselves without fear. 573 01:05:13,620 --> 01:05:16,700 There must be those who gather with the congregation 574 01:05:16,700 --> 01:05:23,640 of remembrance and compassion, draw water from old wells 575 01:05:23,640 --> 01:05:29,430 and walk the simple path of love for neighbor. 576 01:05:29,430 --> 01:05:32,240 And there must be communities of people 577 01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:37,310 who seek to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly 578 01:05:37,310 --> 01:05:42,500 with God, who call on the string of soul force 579 01:05:42,500 --> 01:05:48,860 to heal, transform, and bless life. 580 01:05:48,860 --> 01:05:59,174 There must be religious witness. 581 01:05:59,174 --> 01:08:48,582 ["FIRE OF COMMITMENT"] 582 01:08:48,582 --> 01:08:50,290 Rev. Rebekah A. Montgomery: Good evening. 583 01:08:50,290 --> 01:08:54,080 Audience: Good evening. 584 01:08:54,080 --> 01:08:57,510 Rev. Rebekah A. Montgomery: I am a military chaplain. 585 01:08:57,510 --> 01:09:07,560 [APPLAUSE] 586 01:09:07,560 --> 01:09:10,490 I am a military chaplain proudly serving 587 01:09:10,490 --> 01:09:15,380 in the United States Army Reserve component for 11 years 588 01:09:15,380 --> 01:09:18,310 now. 589 01:09:18,310 --> 01:09:23,800 In 2005, I was deployed as the task force deputy chaplain 590 01:09:23,800 --> 01:09:29,319 to Kabul, Afghanistan for an 18 month tour of duty. 591 01:09:29,319 --> 01:09:32,540 Over the course of that tour, I traveled 592 01:09:32,540 --> 01:09:36,080 to 38 different forward operating bases 593 01:09:36,080 --> 01:09:41,510 by massive C-130 airplanes, sleek Chinook helicopters, 594 01:09:41,510 --> 01:09:46,060 and lumbering Humvees. 595 01:09:46,060 --> 01:09:48,350 As a military chaplain, I am actually 596 01:09:48,350 --> 01:09:53,529 a non-combatant, which means that I do not carry a weapon. 597 01:09:53,529 --> 01:09:57,540 Further, I am not even permitted to even touch a weapon, 598 01:09:57,540 --> 01:10:02,060 even in the event of an emergency or total mission 599 01:10:02,060 --> 01:10:04,090 failure. 600 01:10:04,090 --> 01:10:10,370 I am assigned a bodyguard-- a chaplain assistant-- 601 01:10:10,370 --> 01:10:14,120 and that brave soldier is responsible for my security, 602 01:10:14,120 --> 01:10:19,470 my safety, managing my schedule, my section property, and most 603 01:10:19,470 --> 01:10:22,860 importantly, graciously making my coffee for me 604 01:10:22,860 --> 01:10:28,220 before I get to the office. 605 01:10:28,220 --> 01:10:31,860 Since I am in non-combatant, I am often the soldier 606 01:10:31,860 --> 01:10:36,570 responsible for driving our unit ministry team vehicle, 607 01:10:36,570 --> 01:10:40,570 so that my chaplain assistant is able to monitor their perimeter 608 01:10:40,570 --> 01:10:44,750 and provide force protection. 609 01:10:44,750 --> 01:10:48,020 When traveling through the vast expanses of mountain terrain 610 01:10:48,020 --> 01:10:51,220 in Afghanistan, the shortest distance 611 01:10:51,220 --> 01:10:54,550 can endure for eight to ten hours 612 01:10:54,550 --> 01:10:59,090 if the route is difficult to navigate. 613 01:10:59,090 --> 01:11:02,800 On one convoy to provide medical supplies and personnel 614 01:11:02,800 --> 01:11:07,730 to an extremely remote area, we drove-- strike 615 01:11:07,730 --> 01:11:15,010 that-- I drove and impossible ten miles an hour 616 01:11:15,010 --> 01:11:22,410 for nine hours, Up and down steep, silky roads, 617 01:11:22,410 --> 01:11:27,810 across dry riverbeds, and through narrow passages of mud, 618 01:11:27,810 --> 01:11:31,860 clay, and dirt. 619 01:11:31,860 --> 01:11:35,050 Once the signal was given, every few hours, 620 01:11:35,050 --> 01:11:38,070 we would stop-- in a small village, 621 01:11:38,070 --> 01:11:46,080 climb out of our dust-encased vehicles, and stretch our legs. 622 01:11:46,080 --> 01:11:48,310 Often, the most remarkable thing would 623 01:11:48,310 --> 01:11:52,330 happen-- I would stop our vehicle, 624 01:11:52,330 --> 01:11:58,150 push open my heavy door, step outside, take off my Kevlar 625 01:11:58,150 --> 01:12:03,590 helmet, brush the sweaty hair off my brow. 626 01:12:03,590 --> 01:12:06,200 The villagers would gather around us 627 01:12:06,200 --> 01:12:10,960 and the kids would peek out from behind older children's legs, 628 01:12:10,960 --> 01:12:14,360 just watching. 629 01:12:14,360 --> 01:12:17,760 After a few minutes, the one or two villagers around us 630 01:12:17,760 --> 01:12:26,380 would swell to five or six, and then nine, and then 12. 631 01:12:26,380 --> 01:12:29,060 The thing is, out there in some of these areas, 632 01:12:29,060 --> 01:12:34,760 Afghans had never seen a female soldier before. 633 01:12:34,760 --> 01:12:38,350 And they'd never, especially, seen a female soldier 634 01:12:38,350 --> 01:12:42,290 driving a Humvee. 635 01:12:42,290 --> 01:12:45,760 The reception I received a handful of times 636 01:12:45,760 --> 01:12:48,830 is sort of like landing on strange planet, where you think 637 01:12:48,830 --> 01:12:53,210 you're average and ordinary, and everyone perceives you 638 01:12:53,210 --> 01:12:59,790 as a purple dinosaur with green spots and yellow feathers. 639 01:12:59,790 --> 01:13:05,020 Then, in a hot minute, the Afghans' world view 640 01:13:05,020 --> 01:13:09,480 would completely shatter when the interpreter explained 641 01:13:09,480 --> 01:13:13,180 to the amassing crowd before us that I am actually 642 01:13:13,180 --> 01:13:19,180 an officer and a chaplain-- or, as one interpreter insisted, 643 01:13:19,180 --> 01:13:28,040 a female mullah, or a religious leader in Islam. 644 01:13:28,040 --> 01:13:30,870 So I have to admit that me standing here 645 01:13:30,870 --> 01:13:36,490 at General Assembly for our Service of the Living Tradition 646 01:13:36,490 --> 01:13:40,630 is a bit like climbing out of that Humvee in Afghanistan. 647 01:13:40,630 --> 01:13:43,860 [LAUGHTER] 648 01:13:43,860 --> 01:13:46,450 I never thought that, in all of my years, 649 01:13:46,450 --> 01:13:48,830 I would have had the honor and privilege 650 01:13:48,830 --> 01:13:53,480 to stand before you this day. 651 01:13:53,480 --> 01:13:59,840 As a lifelong UU, formed in the womb of River Road Unitarian 652 01:13:59,840 --> 01:14:07,040 Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland, 653 01:14:07,040 --> 01:14:11,480 raised in an interracial family with an ardent peace activist 654 01:14:11,480 --> 01:14:15,260 grandmother-- who knew? 655 01:14:15,260 --> 01:14:18,800 Who knew a deep calling for military chaplaincy 656 01:14:18,800 --> 01:14:24,850 would catch fire in my belly? 657 01:14:24,850 --> 01:14:28,580 When I commissioned into the Army in 2003, 658 01:14:28,580 --> 01:14:32,180 the Reverend Cynthia Kane, who will introduce 659 01:14:32,180 --> 01:14:37,070 the offertory today, had blazed the trail before me 660 01:14:37,070 --> 01:14:42,670 for currently serving chaplains by almost two years. 661 01:14:42,670 --> 01:14:44,870 My UU military chaplain colleagues 662 01:14:44,870 --> 01:14:48,710 and I are a small but proud tribe 663 01:14:48,710 --> 01:14:52,240 of service members under the fierce protection 664 01:14:52,240 --> 01:14:56,540 and wise, generous leadership of our endorser, the Reverend 665 01:14:56,540 --> 01:14:58,185 Sarah Lammert. 666 01:14:58,185 --> 01:15:03,520 [APPLAUSE] 667 01:15:03,520 --> 01:15:10,930 And this is off script, but she is our true star. 668 01:15:10,930 --> 01:15:15,460 Our theme for General Assembly, "Love Reaches Out," 669 01:15:15,460 --> 01:15:17,710 calls us to deeper relationships that 670 01:15:17,710 --> 01:15:22,050 extend beyond ourselves, our comfortable surroundings, 671 01:15:22,050 --> 01:15:25,630 both internal and external. 672 01:15:25,630 --> 01:15:30,830 In that spirit, we speak to move to walking with the other. 673 01:15:30,830 --> 01:15:37,860 Well, let me name it now-- I am the other. 674 01:15:37,860 --> 01:15:42,160 I am the other within UU, the other that you, 675 01:15:42,160 --> 01:15:44,590 my dear colleagues, my community, 676 01:15:44,590 --> 01:15:48,280 that you are called to reach out to. 677 01:15:48,280 --> 01:15:50,620 Our UU military chaplain colleagues 678 01:15:50,620 --> 01:15:57,000 and I are all the other, within our formations as well. 679 01:15:57,000 --> 01:15:59,960 We are a spiritual and religious minority 680 01:15:59,960 --> 01:16:02,840 amongst colleagues and a chaplain culture that 681 01:16:02,840 --> 01:16:06,820 leans heavily towards conservative and evangelical. 682 01:16:06,820 --> 01:16:10,590 And yet, we persist. 683 01:16:10,590 --> 01:16:16,580 We thrive and we serve equally and with tremendous dedication 684 01:16:16,580 --> 01:16:21,920 to all of our service members and their families, regardless 685 01:16:21,920 --> 01:16:27,090 of faith tradition, sexuality, income, gender identity, race, 686 01:16:27,090 --> 01:16:29,390 or ethnicity. 687 01:16:29,390 --> 01:16:39,010 [APPLAUSE] 688 01:16:39,010 --> 01:16:43,810 We embody the mystical chant by Rumi in our hymnal 689 01:16:43,810 --> 01:16:49,420 that calls for an open heart and welcoming arms. 690 01:16:49,420 --> 01:17:13,290 [SINGING] 691 01:17:13,290 --> 01:17:16,910 But I tell you today that our legacy of military chaplaincy 692 01:17:16,910 --> 01:17:20,410 is not a recent story. 693 01:17:20,410 --> 01:17:23,890 We trace our roots back to George Washington, who 694 01:17:23,890 --> 01:17:26,030 declared that the role of chaplains 695 01:17:26,030 --> 01:17:29,710 was to protect, and foster religious freedom, 696 01:17:29,710 --> 01:17:34,530 and that no faith shall be decreed by government. 697 01:17:34,530 --> 01:17:38,730 Some of the very first chaplains in the Continental Army 698 01:17:38,730 --> 01:17:44,730 were Unitarian and Universalist, to include our own pioneer 699 01:17:44,730 --> 01:17:47,670 minister and founder of the Universalist 700 01:17:47,670 --> 01:17:52,332 faith, the Reverend John Murray. 701 01:17:52,332 --> 01:17:58,320 [APPLAUSE] 702 01:17:58,320 --> 01:18:01,770 So to you, congregants, lay leaders, 703 01:18:01,770 --> 01:18:03,700 and all of my wonderful colleagues, 704 01:18:03,700 --> 01:18:06,210 both civilian and military alike, 705 01:18:06,210 --> 01:18:09,740 and those walking the stage this day, 706 01:18:09,740 --> 01:18:12,760 I bring you a word of encouragement, 707 01:18:12,760 --> 01:18:16,130 lessons learned from my years of service, 708 01:18:16,130 --> 01:18:19,070 and a blessing for your journey. 709 01:18:19,070 --> 01:18:22,760 First, a word of encouragement for the newly fellowship 710 01:18:22,760 --> 01:18:28,770 ministers of our faith. 711 01:18:28,770 --> 01:18:33,020 You are the emerging beacons of our movement, 712 01:18:33,020 --> 01:18:37,390 calling for love to reach out into the world. 713 01:18:37,390 --> 01:18:41,760 Let me take your hand in mine, look into your eyes, 714 01:18:41,760 --> 01:18:46,890 and tell you that you are already enough. 715 01:18:46,890 --> 01:18:50,760 All your years of school, all your years of preparation, 716 01:18:50,760 --> 01:18:54,890 finding and honing your ministerial presence, 717 01:18:54,890 --> 01:18:59,330 all of your doubts, your joys, affirmations, and struggles 718 01:18:59,330 --> 01:19:06,830 to get to this time and this place-- it is enough. 719 01:19:06,830 --> 01:19:10,180 Be encouraged this day, for the blessings of the universe 720 01:19:10,180 --> 01:19:13,830 and all that is sacred are within you. 721 01:19:13,830 --> 01:19:19,580 As W. E. B. Du Bois asserts, "The prayer of our souls 722 01:19:19,580 --> 01:19:23,990 is a petition for persistence; not 723 01:19:23,990 --> 01:19:28,900 for the one good deed or a single thought, 724 01:19:28,900 --> 01:19:33,220 but for the deed on deed and the thought on thought, 725 01:19:33,220 --> 01:19:40,840 until day calling unto day shall make a life worth living." 726 01:19:40,840 --> 01:19:45,590 Deep inside your spirit is a river of wisdom, 727 01:19:45,590 --> 01:19:48,200 tapping into our collective unconscious 728 01:19:48,200 --> 01:19:54,810 as religious professionals, and to that end, you are not alone. 729 01:19:54,810 --> 01:20:00,309 May your ministry be a blessing. 730 01:20:00,309 --> 01:20:08,670 [APPLAUSE] 731 01:20:08,670 --> 01:20:11,630 So as a soldier, one pillar of my existence 732 01:20:11,630 --> 01:20:13,500 is physical training. 733 01:20:13,500 --> 01:20:16,670 Or, as we call it, PT. 734 01:20:16,670 --> 01:20:19,420 We train our bodies while steeling our resolve 735 01:20:19,420 --> 01:20:22,760 to do the hard physical work required of us 736 01:20:22,760 --> 01:20:25,680 down range or on missions. 737 01:20:25,680 --> 01:20:29,690 For me, PT is my sacred place, where 738 01:20:29,690 --> 01:20:33,440 I go to refresh my mind, my body, my spirit. 739 01:20:33,440 --> 01:20:38,370 I go within to reemerge, purged of the sludge of whatever 740 01:20:38,370 --> 01:20:42,200 may be weighing on my heart that day. 741 01:20:42,200 --> 01:20:45,650 You may go on long pastoral walks, 742 01:20:45,650 --> 01:20:51,650 taking in the fresh air and the beauty of all of creation. 743 01:20:51,650 --> 01:20:52,970 We do, too. 744 01:20:52,970 --> 01:20:57,620 We just call them ruck marches, and happen 745 01:20:57,620 --> 01:21:03,210 to carry 20 to 50 pounds of rucksacks in the process. 746 01:21:03,210 --> 01:21:06,850 Once, to the delight and amusement of my soldiers, 747 01:21:06,850 --> 01:21:10,570 I rucked with my then toddler daughter Genevieve, 748 01:21:10,570 --> 01:21:16,560 in a pink hiking baby backpack, for a leisurely ten miles 749 01:21:16,560 --> 01:21:19,730 over the hills of Maryland. 750 01:21:19,730 --> 01:21:24,420 A rucksack carries everything you need for your journey, 751 01:21:24,420 --> 01:21:26,520 and I offer you now three lessons 752 01:21:26,520 --> 01:21:31,690 learned from my military chaplaincy for your rucksack, 753 01:21:31,690 --> 01:21:36,570 and the rucksack of our beloved denomination and wider movement 754 01:21:36,570 --> 01:21:40,350 in the world. 755 01:21:40,350 --> 01:21:45,760 The first tool for your pack is that symbols matter. 756 01:21:45,760 --> 01:21:48,300 Symbols have power. 757 01:21:48,300 --> 01:21:51,500 They remind us who is present. 758 01:21:51,500 --> 01:21:54,350 They remind us of our history. 759 01:21:54,350 --> 01:21:56,460 They speak to where we are heading, 760 01:21:56,460 --> 01:22:00,830 sending forth intention into the world. 761 01:22:00,830 --> 01:22:03,480 I am a symbol. 762 01:22:03,480 --> 01:22:08,150 My military chaplain colleagues sitting here in the front 763 01:22:08,150 --> 01:22:10,630 are a symbol. 764 01:22:10,630 --> 01:22:14,190 Our presence signals to this gathered great community 765 01:22:14,190 --> 01:22:17,710 that we belong, where once we may 766 01:22:17,710 --> 01:22:22,240 have been previously overlooked at best, 767 01:22:22,240 --> 01:22:24,380 and the most challenging of times, 768 01:22:24,380 --> 01:22:29,530 openly not welcome in our midst. 769 01:22:29,530 --> 01:22:33,440 As a community-based minister who brings our shared UU 770 01:22:33,440 --> 01:22:37,520 faith into the world, our non-parish based ministry 771 01:22:37,520 --> 01:22:41,080 is lifted up and acknowledged for the soul work 772 01:22:41,080 --> 01:22:46,620 we do with UUs and non-UUs alike. 773 01:22:46,620 --> 01:22:50,140 Symbols matter. 774 01:22:50,140 --> 01:22:55,040 In May of 2012, Tammy Smith was promoted by the Army 775 01:22:55,040 --> 01:22:58,910 to the rank of Brigadier General. 776 01:22:58,910 --> 01:23:01,820 Good soldiers with significant leadership potential 777 01:23:01,820 --> 01:23:06,070 are promoted all the time, but this made historical news 778 01:23:06,070 --> 01:23:11,987 because she is the first openly serving gay general officer. 779 01:23:11,987 --> 01:23:22,710 [APPLAUSE] 780 01:23:22,710 --> 01:23:26,980 And her spouse, Tracey Hepner, pinned the stars 781 01:23:26,980 --> 01:23:29,280 on Brigadier General Smith's shoulders 782 01:23:29,280 --> 01:23:32,400 for the promotion ceremony, also marking 783 01:23:32,400 --> 01:23:36,768 the first time a gay spouse has done so. 784 01:23:36,768 --> 01:23:44,070 [APPLAUSE] 785 01:23:44,070 --> 01:23:47,980 And which denomination-- which denomination 786 01:23:47,980 --> 01:23:51,740 put forth a chaplain who could gladly unite their hearts 787 01:23:51,740 --> 01:23:54,230 in marriage? 788 01:23:54,230 --> 01:23:56,509 Ours did. 789 01:23:56,509 --> 01:24:05,400 [APPLAUSE] 790 01:24:05,400 --> 01:24:09,040 Ours did, because I presided over Tracey and General Smith's 791 01:24:09,040 --> 01:24:10,777 wedding. 792 01:24:10,777 --> 01:24:15,810 [APPLAUSE] 793 01:24:15,810 --> 01:24:18,430 Just as many of my colleagues have done so, 794 01:24:18,430 --> 01:24:20,850 and will continue to do so in the future, 795 01:24:20,850 --> 01:24:24,344 and that is something that you can be proud of. 796 01:24:24,344 --> 01:24:30,280 [APPLAUSE] 797 01:24:30,280 --> 01:24:34,400 Part of recognizing symbols, our important firsts, 798 01:24:34,400 --> 01:24:37,310 is also linked to how we bring our history 799 01:24:37,310 --> 01:24:41,170 into sharp focus in our presence. 800 01:24:41,170 --> 01:24:46,940 We look to the UU Church of South Carolina in Charleston, 801 01:24:46,940 --> 01:24:51,180 where our enslaved forebears dug the clay and the earth 802 01:24:51,180 --> 01:24:57,160 and the mud to make the bricks of the sanctuary walls. 803 01:24:57,160 --> 01:25:01,020 In September of last year, the community 804 01:25:01,020 --> 01:25:04,470 gathered to install a memorial made 805 01:25:04,470 --> 01:25:09,660 from those very same bricks, shaped by hands of people 806 01:25:09,660 --> 01:25:18,690 wrongly enslaved, whose sweat and blood created that space. 807 01:25:18,690 --> 01:25:22,390 The monument proudly displays the West African symbol 808 01:25:22,390 --> 01:25:27,730 from Ghana, the sankofa, a powerful bird 809 01:25:27,730 --> 01:25:33,100 that means looking back in order to move forward. 810 01:25:33,100 --> 01:25:36,500 Choose your symbols with care, and lift up 811 01:25:36,500 --> 01:25:42,240 that which ennobles your spirit. 812 01:25:42,240 --> 01:25:45,710 The second tool for our ruck is the enduring knowledge 813 01:25:45,710 --> 01:25:49,540 that soldiers, and many people, focus more 814 01:25:49,540 --> 01:25:54,410 on relationships than theology. 815 01:25:54,410 --> 01:25:56,920 We, as Unitarian Universalists, carry within us 816 01:25:56,920 --> 01:26:00,040 a legacy of caring, and a dedication 817 01:26:00,040 --> 01:26:05,050 to compassionate presence, as we hold our kin 818 01:26:05,050 --> 01:26:10,150 against our breast, and we call them friend. 819 01:26:10,150 --> 01:26:15,560 Relationships trump theology. 820 01:26:15,560 --> 01:26:17,680 This message hit home for me one day 821 01:26:17,680 --> 01:26:21,200 when I walked into the headquarters operation center 822 01:26:21,200 --> 01:26:25,210 in Kabul, Afghanistan. 823 01:26:25,210 --> 01:26:28,420 A master sergeant of deep faith came to me 824 01:26:28,420 --> 01:26:34,570 and he said, chaplain, I'm going on a mission tomorrow, 825 01:26:34,570 --> 01:26:38,460 and I may not come back. 826 01:26:38,460 --> 01:26:40,160 I know you. 827 01:26:40,160 --> 01:26:42,210 I trust you. 828 01:26:42,210 --> 01:26:49,270 I want you to do my memorial service. 829 01:26:49,270 --> 01:26:53,360 It was a moment that has stuck with me until this day, 830 01:26:53,360 --> 01:26:55,490 because in all honesty, I can tell you 831 01:26:55,490 --> 01:27:00,450 that I may have spoken just a few words to him. 832 01:27:00,450 --> 01:27:02,930 Nothing more than pleasantries-- "how's your day," 833 01:27:02,930 --> 01:27:06,550 "how's your family," type check-ins. 834 01:27:06,550 --> 01:27:10,930 But that simple kindness touched his heart, 835 01:27:10,930 --> 01:27:14,090 I came to find out later, when I gave him 836 01:27:14,090 --> 01:27:19,200 a hug, very much alive and well, blessing him for his journey 837 01:27:19,200 --> 01:27:24,130 home at the end of a very long tour. 838 01:27:24,130 --> 01:27:30,150 A post from social media reminds us, your job is not to judge. 839 01:27:30,150 --> 01:27:35,960 Your job is not to figure out if someone deserves something. 840 01:27:35,960 --> 01:27:40,700 Your job is to lift the fallen, to restore the broken, 841 01:27:40,700 --> 01:27:44,381 and heal the hurting. 842 01:27:44,381 --> 01:27:54,340 [APPLAUSE] 843 01:27:54,340 --> 01:27:58,950 Relationships depend on one also thing that's very important, 844 01:27:58,950 --> 01:28:03,750 and that is showing up-- being there 845 01:28:03,750 --> 01:28:07,470 wherever, it is there to be. 846 01:28:07,470 --> 01:28:11,460 As a lay leader of the UU Church of Delaware County 847 01:28:11,460 --> 01:28:16,310 once reflected wisely, UUs and our Standing 848 01:28:16,310 --> 01:28:18,900 on the Side of Love campaign-- we 849 01:28:18,900 --> 01:28:22,060 embody the very difference between wishing 850 01:28:22,060 --> 01:28:25,490 someone good luck on their upcoming move 851 01:28:25,490 --> 01:28:30,620 and showing up to help pack. 852 01:28:30,620 --> 01:28:37,820 In March of 2014, the UU world reported that our Michigan UU 853 01:28:37,820 --> 01:28:43,200 ministers married over 200 same-sex couples, 854 01:28:43,200 --> 01:28:47,660 presiding over 2/3 of the ceremonies that day, 855 01:28:47,660 --> 01:28:52,688 for this slim window of time that it was legal. 856 01:28:52,688 --> 01:29:01,450 [APPLAUSE] 857 01:29:01,450 --> 01:29:06,040 The Reverend Gail Geisenhainer performed a valiant ten 858 01:29:06,040 --> 01:29:12,880 ceremonies in just three hours. 859 01:29:12,880 --> 01:29:16,040 We show up and we make an impact. 860 01:29:16,040 --> 01:29:21,570 We stand in the gap and we provide a crucial presence, 861 01:29:21,570 --> 01:29:25,380 with the soul force of the divine within us, 862 01:29:25,380 --> 01:29:32,490 changing lives and bringing hope for a better day to many. 863 01:29:32,490 --> 01:29:39,440 The third tool for your ruck is that diversity is important. 864 01:29:39,440 --> 01:29:43,360 We have a long history of dedication towards equality 865 01:29:43,360 --> 01:29:47,040 and justice under the banner of valuing diversity 866 01:29:47,040 --> 01:29:49,760 in our tradition. 867 01:29:49,760 --> 01:29:53,200 Diversity in all shapes and forms, 868 01:29:53,200 --> 01:29:55,970 recognizing the inherent worth and dignity 869 01:29:55,970 --> 01:30:00,080 of each and every person in our communities. 870 01:30:00,080 --> 01:30:03,250 I could cite dozens of laudable stories 871 01:30:03,250 --> 01:30:07,510 that exemplify our dedication to empowering diversity 872 01:30:07,510 --> 01:30:13,310 in our congregations and fomenting social justice. 873 01:30:13,310 --> 01:30:18,500 One such ongoing effort comes from the southwest, 874 01:30:18,500 --> 01:30:21,720 where immigration reform and activism is 875 01:30:21,720 --> 01:30:26,200 a part of the fabric of that land. 876 01:30:26,200 --> 01:30:32,440 Last year Arizona UUs mobilized to stop deportations, 877 01:30:32,440 --> 01:30:36,720 forming a statewide legislative ministry called UU Justice 878 01:30:36,720 --> 01:30:39,254 Arizona Network. 879 01:30:39,254 --> 01:30:45,820 [APPLAUSE] 880 01:30:45,820 --> 01:30:49,220 UUs and activists from immigration reform groups, 881 01:30:49,220 --> 01:30:55,630 in just one day, shut down deportation court proceedings 882 01:30:55,630 --> 01:31:00,920 preventing 70 people from being deported, keeping families 883 01:31:00,920 --> 01:31:07,861 together as a faith community grounded in love and justice. 884 01:31:07,861 --> 01:31:15,820 [APPLAUSE] 885 01:31:15,820 --> 01:31:23,600 Diversity means reaching out and standing on the side of love. 886 01:31:23,600 --> 01:31:25,830 But I also call upon you this today 887 01:31:25,830 --> 01:31:31,740 to be somewhat uncomfortable. 888 01:31:31,740 --> 01:31:34,010 There's a critical side of diversity 889 01:31:34,010 --> 01:31:36,740 that we often overlook. 890 01:31:36,740 --> 01:31:40,990 It is natural to build coalitions and relationships 891 01:31:40,990 --> 01:31:44,850 with people of like minds and spirits. 892 01:31:44,850 --> 01:31:49,050 We gravitate towards our tribes, seeking 893 01:31:49,050 --> 01:31:53,630 our reflection in another's eyes. 894 01:31:53,630 --> 01:31:58,590 What is challenging is seeking the other. 895 01:31:58,590 --> 01:32:01,920 Building partnerships and relationships 896 01:32:01,920 --> 01:32:04,430 with organizations and people that 897 01:32:04,430 --> 01:32:08,890 may not align exactly with our values. 898 01:32:08,890 --> 01:32:11,420 Now, I'm not asking you to go to dark places 899 01:32:11,420 --> 01:32:16,930 and overlook radical injustices or flat-out evil. 900 01:32:16,930 --> 01:32:20,540 I'm calling for intentional relationships 901 01:32:20,540 --> 01:32:27,660 with those who may be along the entire spectrum of diversity. 902 01:32:27,660 --> 01:32:31,680 Pastor Rick Warren, author of the wildly bestselling book 903 01:32:31,680 --> 01:32:36,150 Purpose Driven Life, and senior minister at the mega church 904 01:32:36,150 --> 01:32:41,330 Saddleback Church, does just this. 905 01:32:41,330 --> 01:32:46,410 In his AIDS ministry with the Saddleback Church in Africa, 906 01:32:46,410 --> 01:32:50,330 and other majorly funded social movements and social service 907 01:32:50,330 --> 01:32:54,230 projects, Rick Warren states flatly 908 01:32:54,230 --> 01:32:58,210 that his church will work with anyone-- 909 01:32:58,210 --> 01:33:03,840 any organization, any group, any religious community dedicated 910 01:33:03,840 --> 01:33:07,970 to the effort of serving people. 911 01:33:07,970 --> 01:33:10,730 He proclaims that, as we work together, 912 01:33:10,730 --> 01:33:16,980 we build relationships and we connect hand to hand. 913 01:33:16,980 --> 01:33:21,280 In connecting hand to hand, working together, 914 01:33:21,280 --> 01:33:24,180 we get to know each other's stories, 915 01:33:24,180 --> 01:33:29,840 embracing each other's humanity, and learning from one another. 916 01:33:29,840 --> 01:33:34,180 We connect heart to heart. 917 01:33:34,180 --> 01:33:37,410 It is only then, when there's a connection hand 918 01:33:37,410 --> 01:33:40,330 to hand and heart to heart, that we 919 01:33:40,330 --> 01:33:44,520 can engage the ways that we are different. 920 01:33:44,520 --> 01:33:51,470 And it is only then we can connect mind to mind. 921 01:33:51,470 --> 01:33:54,280 I say this with the full knowledge 922 01:33:54,280 --> 01:33:56,260 that Rick Warren has recently made 923 01:33:56,260 --> 01:34:01,470 many painful public statements about marriage equality 924 01:34:01,470 --> 01:34:05,390 and against equal access to abortion, two social justice 925 01:34:05,390 --> 01:34:10,420 issues that are of vital importance to our community. 926 01:34:10,420 --> 01:34:13,930 The tool for our ruck, though, is 927 01:34:13,930 --> 01:34:21,590 to honor diversity as a part of building the beloved community, 928 01:34:21,590 --> 01:34:25,920 building the beloved community where differences still 929 01:34:25,920 --> 01:34:32,745 persist, and yet everyone has a seat at the table. 930 01:34:32,745 --> 01:34:41,890 [APPLAUSE] 931 01:34:41,890 --> 01:34:46,680 From my foxhole, I see this deep calling 932 01:34:46,680 --> 01:34:50,640 towards building the beloved community manifesting 933 01:34:50,640 --> 01:34:54,570 in our movement in many ways. 934 01:34:54,570 --> 01:34:57,597 One way-- perhaps you have heard of AWAKE Ministries out 935 01:34:57,597 --> 01:35:00,428 of the UU Church in Annapolis, Maryland. 936 01:35:00,428 --> 01:35:05,010 [APPLAUSE] 937 01:35:05,010 --> 01:35:08,870 Under the leadership and vision of the Reverend John Crestwell, 938 01:35:08,870 --> 01:35:12,490 and with the blessings of the AWAKE singers, 939 01:35:12,490 --> 01:35:14,700 we gather to worship. 940 01:35:14,700 --> 01:35:19,060 And through prayer, music, life coaching, and reflection, 941 01:35:19,060 --> 01:35:25,040 we empower people to live bold and compassionate lives. 942 01:35:25,040 --> 01:35:26,650 What is unique about this ministry, 943 01:35:26,650 --> 01:35:32,000 perhaps, is that all are welcome, UUs and all people 944 01:35:32,000 --> 01:35:33,730 alike. 945 01:35:33,730 --> 01:35:37,210 Under the banner of seeking to connect that which 946 01:35:37,210 --> 01:35:42,340 is holy within, seeking to connect with the divine, 947 01:35:42,340 --> 01:35:45,770 and that which refreshes you. 948 01:35:45,770 --> 01:35:49,180 The vision is for people of all faith traditions 949 01:35:49,180 --> 01:35:53,020 to come together, challenging us to build bridges 950 01:35:53,020 --> 01:35:57,080 and to worship in a way that honors what is common-- 951 01:35:57,080 --> 01:36:01,490 our humanity-- through the free and responsible search 952 01:36:01,490 --> 01:36:04,340 for truth and meaning. 953 01:36:04,340 --> 01:36:07,610 I ask you to consider how you can bring this spirit 954 01:36:07,610 --> 01:36:13,510 into your faith walk and into your community. 955 01:36:13,510 --> 01:36:18,540 Three tools for your rucksack-- symbols 956 01:36:18,540 --> 01:36:23,170 matter, valuing relationships over theology, 957 01:36:23,170 --> 01:36:27,370 and diversity is important. 958 01:36:27,370 --> 01:36:32,110 At GA last year, we sang "People Get Ready," 959 01:36:32,110 --> 01:36:37,820 and united, we declared that the train is coming. 960 01:36:37,820 --> 01:36:43,260 Today we will sing "Love is My Religion." 961 01:36:43,260 --> 01:36:47,830 So people, let's get ready. 962 01:36:47,830 --> 01:36:53,350 And together, let's declare that love is our religion. 963 01:36:53,350 --> 01:36:58,790 Pick up your ruck, scan the horizon, 964 01:36:58,790 --> 01:37:01,490 we are all on this journey together, 965 01:37:01,490 --> 01:37:06,860 living this one wild and precious life. 966 01:37:06,860 --> 01:37:12,120 Pack your rucksack carefully, with only that which 967 01:37:12,120 --> 01:37:15,850 sustains you and brings more light 968 01:37:15,850 --> 01:37:21,290 and healing to this bruised and hurting world. 969 01:37:21,290 --> 01:37:24,620 You are precious. 970 01:37:24,620 --> 01:37:29,760 You are precious. 971 01:37:29,760 --> 01:37:34,520 One life joined with just one life forms 972 01:37:34,520 --> 01:37:36,880 a connection that together weaves 973 01:37:36,880 --> 01:37:42,770 an interdependent web of all of existence. 974 01:37:42,770 --> 01:37:47,680 I charge you to go out into the world. 975 01:37:47,680 --> 01:37:54,920 Live our shared UU values with a restless thirst for justice, 976 01:37:54,920 --> 01:37:59,170 and a radical love, a boundless love, 977 01:37:59,170 --> 01:38:03,220 that courageously radiates our open hearts 978 01:38:03,220 --> 01:38:05,830 and our welcoming doors. 979 01:38:05,830 --> 01:38:08,440 Our day has come. 980 01:38:08,440 --> 01:38:14,100 Our day has come, and let's get on board. 981 01:38:14,100 --> 01:38:19,630 I close with a blessing for you. 982 01:38:19,630 --> 01:38:22,370 May the god of your understanding guide 983 01:38:22,370 --> 01:38:26,440 your feet along this rocky path. 984 01:38:26,440 --> 01:38:30,090 And may the kindness of the beloved community 985 01:38:30,090 --> 01:38:34,660 lighten your burdens and bring healing. 986 01:38:34,660 --> 01:38:37,460 May the power of the universe and all 987 01:38:37,460 --> 01:38:43,450 of creation course through your veins, 988 01:38:43,450 --> 01:38:50,840 knowing that you are a child of all that is holy. 989 01:38:50,840 --> 01:38:56,810 May the blood of the fallen be deep in the caves 990 01:38:56,810 --> 01:39:05,120 of your heart, to seek justice and to act mercifully. 991 01:39:05,120 --> 01:39:09,555 May peace prevail over all the nations, and may 992 01:39:09,555 --> 01:39:12,850 it begin with us. 993 01:39:12,850 --> 01:39:16,849 Amen, and blessed be. 994 01:39:16,849 --> 01:39:49,651 [APPLAUSE] 995 01:39:49,651 --> 01:44:05,264 ["LOVE IS MY RELIGION"] 996 01:44:05,264 --> 01:44:06,680 Rev. David G. Pyle: It is my honor 997 01:44:06,680 --> 01:44:11,310 to introduce my friend and colleague, chaplain, lieutenant 998 01:44:11,310 --> 01:44:18,454 commander, the Reverend Cynthia Kane, all the way from Hawaii. 999 01:44:18,454 --> 01:44:20,120 Rev. Cynthia G. Kane: Aloha, Providence. 1000 01:44:20,120 --> 01:44:21,680 I wish I could be with you there. 1001 01:44:21,680 --> 01:44:25,130 The reality is, though, you're with me, here. 1002 01:44:25,130 --> 01:44:26,990 A central Talmudic precept suggests 1003 01:44:26,990 --> 01:44:29,020 that if you save one person's life, 1004 01:44:29,020 --> 01:44:31,940 it's as if you've saved the entire world. 1005 01:44:31,940 --> 01:44:34,060 You, my fellow Unitarian Universalists, 1006 01:44:34,060 --> 01:44:37,290 saved my life and my world. 1007 01:44:37,290 --> 01:44:40,350 In 1996, I was supposed to enter into the Navy 1008 01:44:40,350 --> 01:44:42,720 the day after I graduated divinity school. 1009 01:44:42,720 --> 01:44:46,560 Instead, I was diagnosed with a rare, bizarre form of cancer, 1010 01:44:46,560 --> 01:44:49,440 that had a 10% chance of survival the first year, 1011 01:44:49,440 --> 01:44:52,090 and diminishing prospects thereafter. 1012 01:44:52,090 --> 01:44:54,390 While I focused on beating those odds, 1013 01:44:54,390 --> 01:44:57,660 the Living Tradition Fund provided for my basic needs. 1014 01:44:57,660 --> 01:45:00,340 Because of the generosity of people such as yourselves, 1015 01:45:00,340 --> 01:45:04,360 I am here today, 18 years later, cancer free, addressing you 1016 01:45:04,360 --> 01:45:07,000 with a heart full of joy and gratitude, 1017 01:45:07,000 --> 01:45:11,170 knowing that our efforts in faith branch out endlessly, 1018 01:45:11,170 --> 01:45:13,350 reaching people and places and situations 1019 01:45:13,350 --> 01:45:15,780 that we could never even imagine. 1020 01:45:15,780 --> 01:45:21,050 Consider this-- at my first naval assignment in Washington, 1021 01:45:21,050 --> 01:45:22,560 DC, I had a supervisory chaplain who 1022 01:45:22,560 --> 01:45:26,120 is hardcore, old school, and Southern Baptist. 1023 01:45:26,120 --> 01:45:29,440 He'd never even heard of Unitarian Universalism. 1024 01:45:29,440 --> 01:45:31,210 Our initial months together might easily 1025 01:45:31,210 --> 01:45:33,310 have been filmed as a sitcom. 1026 01:45:33,310 --> 01:45:36,370 Yet, we had this tremendous respect for one another, 1027 01:45:36,370 --> 01:45:39,440 and he fervently maintained one's First Amendment rights 1028 01:45:39,440 --> 01:45:41,990 to religious freedom. 1029 01:45:41,990 --> 01:45:43,700 A few years later, when this chaplain 1030 01:45:43,700 --> 01:45:45,740 transferred to Great Lakes Training Command, 1031 01:45:45,740 --> 01:45:47,880 he enlisted two Meadville Lombard students, 1032 01:45:47,880 --> 01:45:51,270 one of them being David Pyle, to offer Unitarian Universalist 1033 01:45:51,270 --> 01:45:53,770 services to Navy recruits. 1034 01:45:53,770 --> 01:45:57,250 Through the past 10 years, nearly 430,000 recruits 1035 01:45:57,250 --> 01:45:59,600 have been exposed to Unitarian Universalism, 1036 01:45:59,600 --> 01:46:01,580 and a few thousand of those recruits 1037 01:46:01,580 --> 01:46:04,880 have found comfort in our faith as they made their way 1038 01:46:04,880 --> 01:46:08,740 through the arduous process of basic training. 1039 01:46:08,740 --> 01:46:10,340 Since my first military assignment 1040 01:46:10,340 --> 01:46:14,050 13 years ago, I have served in a variety of chaplaincies 1041 01:46:14,050 --> 01:46:17,410 with just as varied chaplains, and just as varied ministries. 1042 01:46:17,410 --> 01:46:20,300 From an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Northwest, 1043 01:46:20,300 --> 01:46:22,690 to the joint detention center in Guantanamo Bay, 1044 01:46:22,690 --> 01:46:25,380 Cuba; from the Coast Guard in sector 1045 01:46:25,380 --> 01:46:28,550 northern New England, to the Marines here in Hawaii. 1046 01:46:28,550 --> 01:46:30,287 And why I'm not with you physically 1047 01:46:30,287 --> 01:46:32,120 at General Assembly this year is because I'm 1048 01:46:32,120 --> 01:46:36,320 amidst an exercise with five Pacific nation's navies. 1049 01:46:36,320 --> 01:46:38,420 Throughout this time, there's no way 1050 01:46:38,420 --> 01:46:41,420 to determine how many people have felt touched by Unitarian 1051 01:46:41,420 --> 01:46:44,210 Universalism's openheartedness and inclusiveness, 1052 01:46:44,210 --> 01:46:48,400 or how many people, in turn, have shared our precepts. 1053 01:46:48,400 --> 01:46:51,520 All I do know is that ministry spreads. 1054 01:46:51,520 --> 01:46:53,110 Caring spreads. 1055 01:46:53,110 --> 01:46:54,490 Love spreads. 1056 01:46:54,490 --> 01:46:57,740 In rhizomatic fashion, that ministry, that caring, 1057 01:46:57,740 --> 01:47:01,940 that love branch out endlessly, often just below the surface, 1058 01:47:01,940 --> 01:47:05,800 where we cannot see or predict their reach. 1059 01:47:05,800 --> 01:47:08,560 The Living Tradition Fund did more than save my life. 1060 01:47:08,560 --> 01:47:12,180 It save the gift of spirit I so wanted to share, so ardently 1061 01:47:12,180 --> 01:47:14,170 and for so long, before I received 1062 01:47:14,170 --> 01:47:17,110 that seemingly fatal diagnosis. 1063 01:47:17,110 --> 01:47:18,960 Thank you. 1064 01:47:18,960 --> 01:47:21,340 With each individual that you support, 1065 01:47:21,340 --> 01:47:28,265 I pray that you know world of spirit is about to unfold. 1066 01:47:28,265 --> 01:47:37,970 [APPLAUSE] 1067 01:47:37,970 --> 01:47:41,010 Rev. David G. Pyle: This is but one story 1068 01:47:41,010 --> 01:47:45,180 of a ministry that you gave the support that ministry needed 1069 01:47:45,180 --> 01:47:48,280 to transform the world. 1070 01:47:48,280 --> 01:47:53,880 Because you supported Chaplain Kane in her time of need, 1071 01:47:53,880 --> 01:47:57,280 there are now thousands of young sailors across the world who 1072 01:47:57,280 --> 01:48:02,095 think of themselves as Unitarian Universalists. 1073 01:48:02,095 --> 01:48:07,930 [APPLAUSE] 1074 01:48:07,930 --> 01:48:11,520 Now, imagine that story multiplied 1075 01:48:11,520 --> 01:48:14,850 by all of the ministers and other religious professionals 1076 01:48:14,850 --> 01:48:18,340 who have been supported by the Service of the Living Tradition 1077 01:48:18,340 --> 01:48:19,900 Fund. 1078 01:48:19,900 --> 01:48:22,390 From student loans to emergency funds, 1079 01:48:22,390 --> 01:48:25,540 you empower ministries around the world 1080 01:48:25,540 --> 01:48:29,730 through the gift you make tonight. 1081 01:48:29,730 --> 01:48:34,050 Let's empower all of those ministries. 1082 01:48:34,050 --> 01:48:37,150 Whatever you are planning to give, 1083 01:48:37,150 --> 01:48:40,370 I invite you to double it. 1084 01:48:40,370 --> 01:48:42,610 If you're feeling really adventurous, 1085 01:48:42,610 --> 01:48:44,710 I would invite you to instead add 1086 01:48:44,710 --> 01:48:51,440 a 0 or two at the end of what you are planning to give. 1087 01:48:51,440 --> 01:48:54,840 But whatever you are planning to give this evening, ask yourself 1088 01:48:54,840 --> 01:49:00,290 this question-- if you could see the impact of all 1089 01:49:00,290 --> 01:49:02,920 of the ministries that the Service of the Living Tradition 1090 01:49:02,920 --> 01:49:09,820 Fund sets forth into the world, would you give more? 1091 01:49:09,820 --> 01:49:14,050 If the answer to that question is yes, 1092 01:49:14,050 --> 01:49:19,400 then I ask you to do so tonight. 1093 01:49:19,400 --> 01:49:22,900 The offering to support the transforming ministries 1094 01:49:22,900 --> 01:49:26,080 that Unitarian Universalist religious professionals empower 1095 01:49:26,080 --> 01:49:44,256 around the world will now be given and received. 1096 01:49:44,256 --> 01:54:57,334 ["IN TIMES LIKE THESE"] 1097 01:54:57,334 --> 01:55:08,312 [APPLAUSE] 1098 01:55:08,312 --> 01:57:46,379 ["AMAZING GRACE"] 1099 01:57:46,379 --> 01:57:48,420 Ann Watson Born:Please rise in body or in spirit, 1100 01:57:48,420 --> 01:57:59,398 and join us in our closing hymn, "Life Calls Us On." 1101 01:57:59,398 --> 02:00:56,230 ["LIFE CALLS US ON"] 1102 02:00:56,230 --> 02:00:59,226 Rev. Carlton Elliott Smith: Love calls us on. 1103 02:00:59,226 --> 02:01:02,046 Hope calls us on. 1104 02:01:02,046 --> 02:01:05,392 Faith calls us on. 1105 02:01:05,392 --> 02:01:10,840 Let's pause for a few moments in quiet gratitude for all those 1106 02:01:10,840 --> 02:01:14,652 who showed up history with prophetic words, 1107 02:01:14,652 --> 02:01:35,712 acts of justice, and dreams of compassion. 1108 02:01:35,712 --> 02:01:39,540 A few more moments for those in our own lives, 1109 02:01:39,540 --> 02:01:42,660 who showed up with an encouraging word, 1110 02:01:42,660 --> 02:01:48,861 an outreached hand, a nourishing meal, a forgiving heart, 1111 02:01:48,861 --> 02:02:07,519 a loving touch. 1112 02:02:07,519 --> 02:02:12,120 And lastly, for these transitions in our lives, 1113 02:02:12,120 --> 02:02:15,068 for the opportunity to be of service, 1114 02:02:15,068 --> 02:02:18,810 represented by those in ordained ministry, 1115 02:02:18,810 --> 02:02:42,130 and indeed by each and everyone here. 1116 02:02:42,130 --> 02:02:45,956 Now grateful for all that our ears have heard, 1117 02:02:45,956 --> 02:02:48,760 and all that our hearts have felt, 1118 02:02:48,760 --> 02:02:52,179 let us leave, inspired and ready to show up 1119 02:02:52,179 --> 02:02:59,574 for each other, and another, and another, again, and again, 1120 02:02:59,574 --> 02:03:02,925 and again. 1121 02:03:02,925 --> 02:03:08,221 For all that is our life, we sing our thanks and praise, 1122 02:03:08,221 --> 02:03:12,882 for all life is a gift, which we are called to use, 1123 02:03:12,882 --> 02:03:19,148 to build the common good, and make our own days glad. 1124 02:03:19,148 --> 02:03:21,980 Go in peace now, assured that love 1125 02:03:21,980 --> 02:03:27,080 surrounds you everywhere you may go. 1126 02:03:27,080 --> 02:05:15,380 [MUSIC CONTINUES] 1127 02:05:15,380 --> 02:05:18,730 [CHORAL MUSIC] 1128 02:05:18,730 --> 02:08:34,283