WELCOME!

WELCOME!First Unitarian Universalist Church“An Urban Center for Social Justice and Spiritual Renewal”

Singing TogetherThere Is More Love SomewhereCome On Get HappyGonna Lay Down My Sword and

Shield(Words are in your Order of

Service)

Welcome and AnnouncementsWant to learn more about UUs?

“Introduction to UU” class will be held at 12:30 today in Memorial Hall.

We want your socks! Yes, really. Socks for the homeless are being collected in the Social Hall.

Christmas Day Dinner. Interested? Look for a sign-up sheet in the social hall.

Please read Order of Service insert for other events this week

CENTERINGPrelude          Calling To Worship  Kindling the Flame         

Opening Hymn*  #354 “With Joy We Claim the Growing Light”

DEEPENINGSilent Meditation

Invocation  Musical Meditation   

Reading #466, “Religion”

ISMS“The whole modern world has

divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected. Even when the revolutionist might repent the revolution, traditionalists are already defending it as part of their tradition.” ~G.K. Chesterton

IsmsConservatism

and the Bad New Days

Liberalism and the Acquisitive Individual

Progressivism and the Indeterminate Future

Progress As Continuous Improvement

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Progress As Continuous ImprovementHegel and Faith

in Future HistoryDisillusionment

and DespairProgress is a

Commitment, not a Faith

Adventurous Minds“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” ~Alan Cohen

Adventurous MindsAbolitionists,

Feminists, and Activists

Pacifists, Atheists, Socialists

Social Justice, Ecology, Responsibility

A Tradition of CourageCourage is the most

important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” ~ Maya Angelou

A Tradition of CourageNot Afraid of Ideas

Avant-GardeThe Challenge of Hope

A Tradition of Courage“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchill

First Church“The First Unitarian Universalist Church in Detroit is an urban center for social justice and spiritual renewal. Our Mission is to Liberate Truth, Radiate Kindness, and Love Courageously.”

First Churchhttp://www.1stuu.org/

history/pamphlet.htmlSocial Justice (Race, Gender, Class, Sexuality, Ecology)

Religious HumanismInterfaith Engagement

Community Formation

A Progressive Future“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” ~Noam Chomsky

A Progressive FutureReason and CompassionLiberty and Community Creativity and TraditionExcellence and Equity

Closing Words“I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

RETURNINGOffering      Closing Hymn #116 I’m on My Way

Benediction RecessionalCongregation may exit to McCollester Hall for coffee, cookies, and conversation