Led by Rev. Frank Clarkson, Clare Fortune-Lad, and Bo Crowell with thanks to Dana Cunningham for her lovely music (https://danacunningham.com/)

Order of Service

Prelude Dana Cunningham, piano

Welcome & Invocation Rev. Frank Clarkson

Hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Dana Cunningham, piano

Unison Affirmation Clare Fortune-Lad

Love is the doctrine of this church
The quest for truth is its sacrament
And service is its prayer.
This is our great covenant
To dwell together in peace,
To seek the truth in love,
And to help one another
To the end that all souls shall grow
In harmony with the divine.   

A Time for All Ages Clare Fortune-Lad

Prayer

Reading “Pandemic,” by Lynn Ungar Bo Crowell

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
 
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
 
Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

Offertory Clare Fortune-Lad

Hymn Come Down, O Love Divine Dana Cunningham, piano

Homily Rev. Clarkson

Hymn Immortal Love

Immortal love, forever full, forever flowing free,
forever shared, forever whole, a never-ending sea!

Our outward lips confess the name all other names above;
but love alone knows whence it came and comprehendeth love.

Blow, winds of love, awake and blow the mists of hate away;
sing out, O Truth divine, and tell how wide and far we stray.

The letter fails, the systems fall, and every symbol wanes;
the Spirit overseeing all, Eternal Love, remains.

Chalice extinguishing Bo Crowell

We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth,
the warmth of community or the fire of commitment.
These we carry in our hearts until we are together again.

Benediction

Postlude Doxology Dana Cunningham, piano