Friendship

Greetings all you souls who read this, Layleader Mugwump here. Today I speak of Friendship. Before I begin with my rambling we should light the chalice and recite the call to worship.
"From all that dwell below the skies
may and love arise
let beauty truth and good be sung
through every land by every tongue"
Now the story for all ages
Some time ago in Japan there lived an old woman. Every morning she would walk down from her quant cottage down a dirt path to the stream. She carried two pots across her shoulders which she filled with water. One was a beautiful, strong, and very handsome pot. It held all the water it should and was very proud of it. The other pot had a crack in it and spilled half of it's water on it's way up the path to the cottage. When she got home she only had one and a half pots of water. This pot was ashamed of it's flaws and wished the old woman would stop using it. One day the old woman rested by the stream, the flawed pot called to her.
"Oh, dear woman, why do you use me? It makes me ashamed that every day I drop all the water that you so greatly need." The pot began to cry.
"Dear dear pot. I love you and would not think of retiring you. Look at the path, see you

Apology

Greetings all, Layleader Mugwump here sorry I haven't posted recently but I will post this weekend. I truly am very sorry! I shall keep up my end from now on. I'm sorry!
Oh and I would like to remind everyone to comment. Please comment! We would like to here from everyone. We look for joys and concerns, upcoming events, and thoughts on the post. If you want to speak privatly you can email us at-

layleaderjm@gmail.com

In e-mails would youplease put to Jiji or to Mugwump in the subject box. If you would like both of us to see it just say to both in the subject box. We don't read the others mail so

We love to hear from everyone so please e-mail/comment.

Why on earth?

Good morning! I am lay leader JiJi. Today is sort of a rushed service, so my apologies.
Today's topic is Why on earth? more specifically "Why on Earth are WE on Earth?" or the meaning of life.
but, before I begin please join me in the call to worship and lighting of the chalice.

From all that dwell below the skies,
Let faith and hope and love arise.
Let beauty truth and good be sung,
Through every land, by every tongue.

Thank you.

Also before we begin, I would like to recognize guests, although I suppose that you will only comment after reading the service. =D Anyhow, guests, or first time visitors of the blog, please leave the date, how you found us, and a nickname, or real name if you are comfortable doing so. And, everyone, guest or not, please comment on the blog. If you wish to become a member, and have your nickname on the member board, leave a comment with the date, your nickname, and a note saying you would like to be a member!

Now, The meaning of life. What is it? is it to keep the human kind going? And, if so, how was human kind started? Is the meaning of life to make new technological improvements and discoveries, or to stop doing so? I think that we are here to be here. I mean, why is Earth here in the first place? We are here to make these discoveries, to learn from what others before us have failed in. To make use of these resources that only we can use. Now, mind you, this is simply a opinion, to which every one is entitled, so tell Mugwump and I yours!

Thank you for joining me on this day. I look forward to hearing your comments! my apologies for the short service today.

Have a good week,

JiJi

So Sorry!

Mugwump and I are SO SORRY about skipping posts. We had to switch who did it, and-UH- We are just SO sorry. Please forgive us. Am I laying it on too thick? What-ever. Anyhow, we are hoping to pick it back up today, which is mugwump's turn. If she hasn't done it by tomorrow, I will either be so unhappy she will do it (not really, I will tell her she forgot, though!) or I will do it.

If you would like to listen to some sermons given at my church in the meantime, go to www.bbuus.org, Go under archived and you may have to scroll down a bit.
I really don't like this formatting. I couldn't get it to underline earlier, then I couldn't get it to stop!

Post to you Later, =P

LL JiJi.

Earth Day

Good day! This is Lay Leader JiJi, and I welcome you warmly on this day.
The opening words this morning are as follows:

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.

And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.

That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

-Jane Yolen

Please rise in body or spirit for the chalice illumination and call to worship.

From all that dwell below the skies;

let faith and hope and love arise.

Let beauty truth and good be sung;

through every land by every tongue.

Thank you. As we know, Earth Day is April 23 this year. Are we doing anything special, or just looking at it like a completely normal day? I love the way the opening words put it, and I like the way this poem puts it:

I Am Of The Earth

I am of the earth
She is my mother
She bore me with pride
She reared me with love
She cradled me each evening
She pushed the wind to make it sing
She built me a house of harmonious colors
She fed me the fruits of her fields
She rewarded me with memories of her smiles
She punished me with the passing of time
And at last when I long to leave
She will embrace me for eternity.


-Anna Lee Walters.

I know that this service is going to be sort of jumpy. I apologize in advance.

Why do we hurt our Mother Earth. What do we eat? Food bore by Mother Earth. What do we drink? Water bore by Mother earth. Can you see where I'm headed with this? "We owe our lives to the sun... How is it, then, that we feel no gratitude?"
~ Lewis Thomas, Earth Ethics, Summer 1990.

That quote also goes for the earth. If there was no earth, would you be here, reading this? I Don't think so! Gosh, if it weren't for the Earth, I wouldn't be here writing this! We wouldn't be here. We owe our existence to the sun, earth, and sky. Why are we ruining the latter two?

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.
~ Henry David Thoreau

There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all.
~ Robert Orben

Two contracting quotes, both so true. Do you get the picture?
If you don't mind, for our closing words, I will Bomb-bard you with earth day proverbs.


Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.
~ Cree Indian Proverb
"Regard Heaven as your father, Earth as your mother and all things as your Brothers and Sisters."
~ Native American Proverb

"Treat the Earth and all that dwell theron with respect."
~ Native American Proverb

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.
~ Native American Proverb

All earth Day poems, proverbs and quotes from www.theholidayspot.com/earth_day.htm

Thank you for joining me on this day. have a great week!

Deciding on the Undecidable

Greetings this is Lay leader Mugwump
Today I welcome no I challenge you to stop and think. Just think. Consider the world, your world, and the way you live it. Seriously contemplate my words throughout this service. Please. Think.

To start I would like to say a few words
"Decisions test us
they confuse us
they haunt us
sometimes they make us want to cry
or scream
or shout
or lash out
sometimes we do
then we have more decisions like weather or not to go to court
but generally decisions like that are simple and easy
but other decisions are awful.
Decisions
are important
what would the world be without choices?
Really were would be without a single choice?"
~Anonymous

These words are something to consider. Really consider. What do you do? What should you do? Why do you do what you do? Hmm? Don't say you never get mad, that is a lie! Everyone gets mad at some point, some just keep it in better than others.

Now the chalice lighting
Please join me in the call to worship:
From all that dwell below the skies
let faith and hope and love arise
may beauty truth and good be sung
through every land by every tongue

Very nice. Thank you. Now the sermon.
I shall try to keep this short and sweet. Today we discuss decisions and how we handle them.
Decisions are one of the toughest things. Some are simple but many are hard. How do we know what to pick? We can follow instinct and gut feeling which will work . . . sometimes. Other times we have to base decisions on data and fact,but the information will either make the answere very clear or still a neck and neck choice. Of course any number of mediums could be reached but the extremes are either it works or it doesn't. This info based decision technique will generally help at least a little. Other times we make a decision without thinking. These often don't result well. It could be something as simple as a small purchase but it could be something life altering. Snap decisions are bad most of the time, not always, but most of the time. The best thing to do is get all your facts strait, all information collected, be entirely informed, then narrow down to only afew options until you are tied between afew. When data is no longer helpful you go with a value scale, which is better and why. Narrow it down then make a gut decision. Snap decisions are not part of the equation. Make as few snap decisions as possible and hope they only effect small aspects.

My next challenge. Think. Thank about every day life and the way your decisions effect it. How does it effect loved ones lives? Are the decisions you make good ones? I hope so.

Now I forbid you to read on until you have a moment of silence to pray,meditate, or just think.

Good. Please take some time this week to calm down and make cool headed decisions.

Feel free to comment on our discussion which has been extended to next Wednesday, comment on this or any weeks service, comment on joys and concerns, comment on recent decisions you have made, comment on any related topic! Again please sign the guest book (comment stating you screename, how you heard of us, and what you think).

Have a pleasant week.
Farewell,
Layleader Mugwump

Do you Believe?

Welcome! I am lay leader JiJi Today's opening words are a poem by Shel Silverstein.
God's Wheel
God says to me with kind of a smile,
"Hey, how would you like to be God for awhile
And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.
Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"
"Gimme back that wheel," says God,
"I don't think you're quite ready yet."
On that note, if you are a guest, please be reminded to sign the guest book (leave a comment) please tell your name (NOT first and last. just first is fine! Or a nickname that you can use every time you are on this blog) and how you heard about us. Please read on for the call to worship and chalice illumination.
From all that dwell below the skies
Let faith and hope and love arise.
Let beauty truth and good be sung,
Through every land by every tongue

Now, as Unitarian Universalists, and as People, I'm sure we've all been asked: "Do you believe in God?" I know I have been asked that multiple times. And I typically didn't have a valid answer. I didn't know. It all depended on my mood. Now, Lay Leader Mugwump had me write down exactly what I believe in. I don't think I'll ever know exactly what I believe in, but Lay Leader Mugwump helped me better organize what I believe in. This all may seem off topic, but, like a puzzle, this is the piece you may have to turn to see how it fits. If someone asks you "Do you believe in God?" I might say, because I am polytheist, "which god?" Or ask "Am I Christian [or what ever religion they are]" Or one may say flat out no. Or yes. If anyone asks me why I said no (to be honest with you, I probably would!) I could say "For one, I don't understand it." This is also a good response if they ask you why you aren't Christian (if you aren't Christian). Why am I telling you all this, you ask? I know how hard it can be to answer these questions.

Right now, I forbid you to read on until you have completed what I am about to tell you to do. We are going to have a moment of meditation. you may pray, think, or simply enjoy the silence. silence is golden.
Thank you.
If you don't think that sermon was good, please let me know, and remember to give us your thoughts about the blog. Happy Easter!

JiJi

.

Peace of Mind

Welcome, This is Lay leader mugwump. I would like to post today's service.

May I start with a poem? Good.
"Love me not for comely grace,
For pleasing eye or face,
Not for any outward part;
Not even a constant Hearts"
~Anonymous From Sunday Serenade
by Sammy Kaye
I would also like to state the call to worship:
From all that dwell below the skies
may faith and hope and love arise
may beauty truth and good be sung
through every land by every tongue

Today's sermon is on the meaning of "Life"
I mean how to examine your life. Why do you wake up? Then try to figure out why you do that. Then continue until you reach a point that will go no further. It almost always ends with money, material things or the continuation of the human race. There are other boiled down reasons they are rare. This a common reason for people to commit suicide, which is to bad. The problem is they stop there. You must create a purpose. Create a reason. Create a task. Charity is a really good way. Helping others, the environment, or animals is a very good way to "purposafy" your life. It is also a very U.U. approach. It will help earth, humanity, animals, and yourself. I took a long time to figure this out. You can fix meaningless existence. Trust me. Just try. Please comment your thoughts and progress, as well as the charity work your doing

I hope this sermon is useful.

Please leave comments. Have a great day.

Time To Talk: U.U.

Here's a question for you.Why did you become Unitarian Universalist? My friend told me about Unitarian Universalism after I told her about my beliefs. I didn't agree with a Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, or any other kind of church, for that matter, and she showed me her church, where I was welcomed with open arms. The rules are no cussing/cursing, no teasing of others, and no saying your ideas are better. All you have to do is answer the question. This will be our topic for the next two weeks, until our next, discussion but feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment whenever. I want to hear your story!

e-mail: layleaderjm@gmail.com

in the subject write to mugwump if it's for me or to JiJi if it's for JiJi of for both if it's for both. You can also write the topic

ex: To mugwump ttt
that way I know it's for me about our discussion. This is our preferred format.
Even though this is preferred, you may simplify if you wish, such as
T/J ttt (this is to JiJi)
or
T/M ttt (this is to mugwump)
The ttt stands for topic topic topic (i think).

have a wonderful week, and we hope to see you on Sunday!

Greetings

Salutations,
I am Lay Leader Mugwump. I shall be accompanied by Lay Leader JiJi. We will work together to create the best online U.U. church we possible can. To do that we will need your advice and participation. Every other week we will have discussions put on by me, they will last until the next discussion. Feel free to join in. Every week there will be a service, JiJi and I will take turns doing the service. We hope you will enjoy this church. All are welcome. Only those who cuss/curse (on this blog) and tease others will be rejected. Feel free, and at peace here.