The "Festival of Lights" program was held at Community UCC in Raleigh NC on November 30, 2014 (the first Sunday of Advent). Pastor Steve Halsted here delivers the Prayer of Invocation.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Festival of Lights - Liturgical Dance
The "Festival of Lights" program was held at Community UCC in Raleigh NC on November 30, 2014 (the first Sunday of Advent). This 4-minute liturgical dance was performed by Alex Cox, Brooke Lipman, and Emily Perkins as part of the Festival of Lights service and may be viewed in full screen HD.
Festival of Lights - Children's Sermon
The "Festival of Lights" program was held at Community UCC in Raleigh NC on November 30, 2014 (the first Sunday of Advent). This children's sermon given by Pastor Steve Halsted was a part of the Festival of Lights service.
Festival of Lights - Guest Speakers
The "Festival of Lights" program was held at Community UCC in Raleigh NC on November 30, 2014 (the first Sunday of Advent). Speakers from diverse religious traditions (Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim) reflected on the symbolism of "light" within their own faith traditions. Those diverse reflections are encompassed in this 42-minute video (which may be viewed in full screen HD). The speakers are Mehran Ghofrani, Venerable Choekyi Lhamo, Bhupender Gupta, Janet Mayer, Rev. Steve Halsted, and Zubaida Khan.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Festival of Lights - Closing Music
The "Festival of Lights" program was held at Community UCC in Raleigh NC on November 30, 2014 (the first Sunday of Advent). The choir and congregation sing the response "Masithi", the hymn "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright," and the benediction response "We are Walking a Path of Light."
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Stewardship Sermon
Stewardship sermon for the pledge campaign leading up toward adoption of the church budget for 2015. Presented by Pastor Steve Halsted on November 16, 2014.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Geraldine Bryan's 90th Birthday Celebration - Monday Lunch Group
On October 27, 2014, Monday Lunch Group celebrated Geraldine's 90th birthday with cake and ice cream and a program that honored her years at CUCC and all the wisdom she has shared in so many different settings. The group viewed selections from Geraldine's Noah video produced in 2006 with help from Lavon Page. And folks shared anecdotes about Geraldine as varied as trips abroad and rides on a zip line. Mostly, however, it was a wonderful opportunity for friends of Geraldine (including Judy Smallwood and Sally Cook and Peggy Hoffmann's daughter Rosemary) to get together and enjoy celebrating this remarkable woman and spiritual leader.
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| Celebrating Geraldine Bryan's 90th birthday - Monday Lunch Group |
The program included a prayer by Pastor Steve Halsted which is reprinted below.
Prayer/Poem in Celebration of Geraldine’s 90th Birthday
Most High, All Powerful, Ever-present Spirit of “All that Is”, we humbly bow before your loving presence. You have blessed us with the gift of life and established an altar of praise in our hearts. We are thankful beyond measure for all the goodness that you have shared with us; for family and friends, for freedom and expression in our faith, for food, clothing, shelter, and good health that provide for our every need; for all this and so much more we are eternally grateful.
Today we are moved to lift up one of your saintly souls among us, our friend and fellow spiritual pilgrim, Geraldine Bryan. Bless Geraldine as she turns 90 years of age. She blesses us each week at our Monday lunch group with her wit and her wisdom and her heart of gold which is forever young. In the spirit of the biblical proverbs, we proclaim:
“A good crone, who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The hearts of her friends trust in her and we will have no lack of gain. She opens her doors sharing Kabbalah wisdom, nurturing the hearts of the spiritually hungry. Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come. Her family and friends rise up and call her blessed; many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who reveres the Lord is to be praised.”
O Great Spirit, give her the fruit of her vast experiences in life, and let Geraldine’s works praise her in your eternal now! All this we pray in humble reverence. AMEN
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