December 24, 2017

Love is the spirit of this program. The music spans many genres but has unifying themes of justice, love, learning and hope. The messages come from podcasts, sermons and readings from Unitarian-Universalist and other allied sources in liberal religion.  The title of this program comes from the words of a beloved Unitarian-Universalist hymn, “Spirit of Life,” including, “Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion” and “Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice."

Braver Wiser

"Messy Wildly Imperfect Love"

Rev. Elea Kemler

First Parish Church, Groton, Mass., Unitarian-Universalist

Sermon

“Hope Gets the Last Word” (12/3/17)

Rev. David Schwartz

First Unitarian Church of Chicago

Message

"The Gift is in the Asking" (12/1/17)

Rev. Joe Cleveland

Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Sarasota Springs

Natural Silence

"Where Jungle Meets the Sea"

Andrew Skeoch

ListeningEarth.com

World Religions

Today is Christmas Eve.  The day before Christmas is known in Latin American nations as Noche Buena when lechon, or roast pig, is a staple dish.  In my family’s New Mexico, many people light luminarias, small bonfires, or farolitos, small paper lanterns.  Italian-American families might celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes.  Traditions vary widely.

Tomorrow is Christmas.  Maybe the most widely observed Christian holiday, it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.  Christmas foods include, in Italy, panettone, a sweet bread; in France, buche de Noel, a rolled pastry; in Scandinavia, grogg, a mulled wine; in Russia, zakuski, doughy appetizers; and in Madagascar, akoho sy voania, chicken-coconut stew.

Tuesday in Western churches is the Feast of St. Stephen.  Venerated on Wednesday in Eastern churches, St. Stephen is considered the first Christian martyr.  Tradition places his death in 34 C.E.  The day after Christmas in many English-speaking countries is also Boxing Day.  Traditionally a day of gift-giving, today it’s a feast of shopping and sports.

Tuesday in Zoroastrianism is Zartosht no Diso, the death anniversary of Zarathustra, also known as Zoroaster, the religion’s central figure.  Zoroastrians number less than 200,000, concentrated in Iran and Pakistan.  Theirs is the oldest monotheistic religion.  Founded in the 7th Century B.C.E., it influenced the development of Judaism and Christianity.

Tuesday is the beginning of Kwanzaa, a specifically African-American holiday.  Created in 1966 by the Los Angeles author and academic Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa celebrates seven principles, including unity, self-determination and creativity.  Traditions include candle lighting, feasts, music, dancing and talks about African-American history.

Wednesday in Western Churches is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  Called by different names and observed on different dates in Eastern Churches, the holiday commemorates the Biblical story a Roman king who killed all male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem.  Holiday observances have waned.  But in Spain, it’s known as a sort of April Fool’s Day.

Wednesday marks the day, in 1970 in Prague, when an underground Catholic priest secretly ordained Ludmila Javorova as a clandestine priest during Czochoslovakia’s Communist repression.  Considered by some to be one of the first Catholic women priests, she kept her ordination secret until 1995.  The Vatican considers it invalid.

Thursday marks the day, in 1973, when President Nixon signed into law the Endangered Species Act.  Aimed at protecting wildlife, the law reminds of the bonds which unite humans and the Earth that sustains us.  Always under threat, it has been weakened under Trump, who has denied endangered status to 25 species, including the Pacific walrus.

Sermon

“Widening the Circle” (9/1/17)

Rev. Kathleen Owens

First Unitarian-Universalist Church of San Diego

Message

"The Light in Our Longest Night"

Nexus United Church of Christ, Butler County, Ohio

Conclusion

Seven Principles and Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism

All readings and audio segments are used by permission of the rights holders.