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Chalice Lightings 2004

December 2004

As others before us have sought to make ordinary times special by lighting a candle,
We now seek to transform this ordinary time
Into a special and sacred one
By lighting the flaming chalice, symbol of our free religious heritage.

—Penny Hackett-Evans
submitted by European Unitarian Universalists—euu.org

November 2004 (in English and German)

While still a single light
lights up all the world's darkness,
there will be joy on earth,
that makes us strong for life.

Solang noch ein Licht erhellt
alle Dunkelheit der Welt,
wird's auf Erden Freude geben,
die uns stark ins Leben stellt.

—Herbert Napiersky
translated by Henning Hraban Ramm
submitted by Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft (Germany)—unitarier.de

October 2004 (in English and French)

The World
May the world that is one in its life, a rich blue top spinning in the endless night of space, a world that is one in its interdependence and fragility, be one in our hearts and minds and deeds also.

Le Monde
Que le monde qui est unique, qui évolve dans l'immensité profonde et bleue de l'univers, le monde qui se complète, interdépendant et fragile, soit entier dans nos coeurs, nos esprits et nos actes.

—Charles Eddis
submitted by the Canadian Unitarian Council—cuc.ca

September 2004 (in English and Khasi)

God is the Knowledge Principle. May knowledge remove ignorance and may we realise that knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievements can be accomplished. By lighting the chalice may we bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth. Knowledge backs our actions, whether good or bad. We therefore light this chalice as a witness to our thoughts and actions. The flame of the chalice burns upwards; similarly, we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the negative tendencies in a human being get slowly exhausted, and the ego too finally perishes. Knowledge does not lessen when shared; on the contrary, it benefits both the giver and the receiver.

U Blei u dei u tynrai jong ki jingtip baroh. Ai ba ka jingnang jingstad kan weng noh ia ka jingdum bad ai ba ngin sngewthuh ba ka jingnang jingstad ka dei ka spah ba hapoh u briew, kaba lah ban pynioh ia u ia ki jingjop bashabar jong u.Da kaba thang ia ka sharak ai ba ngin pyndem ialade ha ka jingnang jingstad kum ka spah bakhraw tam. Ka jingnang jingstad ka kyrshan ia ki kam jongngi, la ki babha lane ki basniew. Namarkata, ngi thang ia kane ka sharak kum ka jingsakhi ia ki jingmut jingpyrkhat bad ki kam ki jongngi. Ka ding ha ka sharak ka meh shalor; ha kajuh ka rukom, ngi dei ban pdiang ia ka jaid jingstad ka ban kyntiew ia ki jingthrang jingangnud jongngi shajrong. Haba kynthah da ka jingstad ba kynja mynsiem,baroh ki jinglong basniew jongngi ki briew ki ing noh suki suki, bad ka malade ruh ka jah noh. Ka jingnang jingstad kam duna haba ngi iasam ia ka bad kiwei pat; ha ka jingshisha, ka pynmyntoi ia baroh ar—ia u nongsam bad ia u nongiohpdiang.

August 2004 (in English and Finnish)

We have gathered here to light the chalice with a flame that symbolizes freedom - of expression, faith and other individual liberties. Flame that brings light, helps us to see and fends off the darkness. Flame that warms us up when it is cold, either outside or in our hearts. Let's have a moment of meditation.

Olemme kokoontuneet tänne sytyttämään liekin, joka symboloi vapautta - ilmaisun, uskonnon ja muita yksilön perusvapauksia. Liekki, joka tuo valoa, auttaa näkemään ja poistaa pimeyden. Liekki, joka lämmittää kun on kylmä joko ulkona tai sydämessämme. Hiljentykäämme hetkeksi.

July 2004 (in English and Hungarian)

Where there is Faith
There is Love.
Where there is Love
There is Peace.
Where there is Peace
There is God
Where there is God
There is no Need.
Hol hit ott szeretet,
Hol szeretet ott béke,
Hol béke ott áldás,
Hol áldás ott Isten
Hol Isten ott szükség nincsen.

Hungarian Home Blessing
submitted by the Unitarian Church in Hungary
unitarius.hu

June 2004 (in English and Portuguese)

O hidden life that vibrates in each atom,
O hidden light that shines in each creature,
O hidden love that embraces everything in unity,
May all who feel one with Thee
Know that for this very reason we are one with all the others.

O vida oculta que brilha em cada átomo
O luz oculta que brilha em cada criatura,
O amor oculto que tudo abrange na unidade,
Possa todo aquele que se sente um contigo
Saber que por isso mesmo é um com todos os outros.

—adapted from Annie Besant by Paulo Ereno
submitted by Brazilian Unitarian Universalists

May 2004 (in English and Cebuano)

Like the burning flame that shines,
like the passionate feeling of love that glows
we're together again;
to sing and to pray,
to give and to receive,
the burning passion that we've celebrated and shared in our coming together as one

Sama sa kainit sa kalayo nga misidlak,
sama sa kainit sa gugma nga migilak
nia na usab kita;
aron sa pag-awit ug pag-ampo,
aron sa paghatag ug pagdawat,
sa kainit sa gugma nga atong gisaluhan ug gipakig-ambit
sa atong panaghiusa.

—Susan R. Quisel
submitted by the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines

April 2004 (in English and Erdu )

Oh God, we light up this chalice in your name. May the lightening spread in your name break all the bounds of Darkness, the bounds of prejudices, doubts, and anger. Bring us understanding, acceptance, tolerance, pluralism and mutuality so that your light may shine. The light of love that rather binds forever instead of dividing. Amen!

Aiay Khuda hum iss Chirage ko array naam say roshan kartay haian. Takay tarray naam ki yeh roshani tarikie kay tamaam bandanoan ko torrh day, tauasibat, shakok, aur ghussa. Aur hamariay dariman aik dusaray ko samajanai,qabool karnay,bardashit karnay,makarisiat aur bahmiat koo laiay takaay tarey roshani chamack sakay. Paiar aur mhabaat ki roshani jo tornaay ki bajaa hamashah ikkhatta rakkhati haay. Amen.

Inderias Dominic Bhatti

Submitted by the Unitarian Universalist Christians of Pakistan

March 2004 (in English )

May this flame burn and remind us that each of us can offer goodness and love, and that each of us can be a blessing to the world.

—Petr Samojsky
submitted by the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians

February 2004 (in English and Danish)

Load no one
with lavish gifts.
Small presents often win great praise.
With a loaf cut
and a cup shared
I found fellowship.

Overvæld ingen
med flotte gaver.
Små ting får ofte megen ros.
Med et brød til deling
og en kop sendt rundt
fandt jeg venskab.

—From the Hávamál (Sayings of the Vikings)
Submitted by the Danish Unitarian Church

January 2004

We light our chalice of freedom, our Unitarian symbol,
In the spirit of faith, hope and love.
As we do so, we reflect for a moment,
In this place of simple beauty,
On the meaning of these three things in our lives.
And we think of those not here,
Blessed in the knowledge
That the fond spirits of those whom we love well can never leave us,
But stay in our hearts forever.

(Silence)

And now come into this circle,
This fellowship of holiness and health.
Come and you shall know peace and joy.

—Judith Crompton
Submitted by the British General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches