Our Unitarian forbearer William Ellery Channing famously said that he was a member of “the living family of all souls.” The latter part of that phrase – all souls – is fairly well-known in our UU movement thanks to so many congregations bearing that name. Mara Dowdall returned to our pulpit to instead focus on the first part: the living family. What does it mean to be a member of that human “family”? What does membership in it ask of us? And what guidance can this metaphor for humanity offer us in these wild times?

Becky Strum read From William Ellery Channing and A. Powell Davies

CVUUS Choir sang For Justice Now by Michael Hennon and Jan Chamberlin

For Justice now, we march and come together

As we have stood and marched as one before.

Together now, we gather bearing witness;

in faith and hope, for now and ever more.

We seek one world, with truth and understanding,

there we will know a new reality.

In this our life, a journey without knowing

Of what it means to be at peace within;

We take a path to start, to love, to growing;

A mystery, no fear, no hate can end.

This is our home, our hope our sanctuary,

Our rock of faith, to grow, to serve, to care.

We now embrace the peace of bearing witness

With those we love; with strangers who we see.

We shall find peace beyond our understanding,

not just alone, but in good company.

Our tapestry is full of love and compassion.

It’s where we’ll find this new reality.

Rev. Mara read On Kindness by Aracelis Girmay

Rev Mara shared The One Family Sermon