First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

Within the Shining of a Star

Prelude

Words of Gathering

These are the darkest days, as the earth deepens into the stillness of winter.

Night falls early; dawn comes late.

True cold is upon us; the waters harden,

and one day or another before long will come the obliteration of snow.

The energy of nature slows, turns inward; the sap is still in the trees,

creatures tucked into burrows and hollows sleep away the frozen months.

But the human spirit rebels against this quiescence;

Since the earliest days of our awareness,

people have watched the skies to measure the turning of the year,

to tell the pattern of the stars and the sun's return.

And we have made feast and festival at this darkest moment;

Have brought fire and candlelight, gifts and songs, revelry and rejoicing.

With stories of magic and power we remind ourselves

Of the world's possibilities and our own great dreams,

Of the courage, compassion and wisdom that is within us

Even at the darkest moments.

At the death of the year, we celebrate life, and birth,

And the vision of peace on earth, good will among all people.

Come, then; for this hour of reflection and refreshment,

Let go the frantic demands of the season, and recall its quieter wonder.

Together, let us go deeper than the hurry and the hype,

Lifting up all that binds us together with one another

And with human communities across the ages and around the globe

As we confront the darkness and celebrate the bringers of light.

Chalice Lighting

We kindle this chalice flame as our earliest ancestors lit their watch fires,

That by its light we might gather, remember, and be saved from the cold and dark.

May its brightness give cheer to our own hearts, courage to our own faith,

And hope to a weary world.

Greetings and Announcements

*Children's Choir

*Presentation of Unsung UU Award

*Song 238: Within the Shining of a Star

Dedications

Interlude: Child of Mine

Reflections:

Every child that is born into this world represents a miracle and a promise. Each one of us, as long as we live, carries that miracle and that promise with us, and yet we so often forget this about ourselves. The supernatural stories that are later attached to the births of people who are remembered as wise and good are ways of reminding ourselves that each of us has within us the possibilities of wisdom and goodness. They help us to remember that every person, no matter how powerful and great, begins life as a tiny, helpless, vulnerable baby, dependent upon the protection and care of others, needing love to survive. New life, the coming into being of a whole separate person, with their own set of never before possibilities, is such an amazing idea that if we really think about it, it seems that the whole earth and everyone on it - all the people, all the creatures, the very land and sky itself - ought to be filled with wonder. The stars should shine brighter, the air should be filled with music, and people should come from near and far to gaze and rejoice. Of course, it doesn't always happen like that; some babies are born in difficult circumstances, at inconvenient times. Nevertheless, every one of them is a miracle and a promise. And sometimes, even out of the most seemingly inauspicious beginnings, a person grows up to become a teacher and leader who shows everyone how to make life better for all of us, and is remembered for a very long time.

One example of this kind of story is found in the legends of the birth of the baby Jesus, two thousand years ago. The truth is that no one really knows much about when and how he was born - we can be pretty sure that it wasn't actually in the month of December - but for hundreds and thousands of years, people have told these stories, trying to remember that Jesus himself grew up to be a special person, and that he taught that all people were precious and worthy of love.

The story is told that before his mother, Mary, was properly married, an angel visited her and announced that she was going to have a child. Such a thing was a disgrace in that culture, but her husband to be, Joseph, stood by her, and together they traveled a long way from where they lived to the city of Bethlehem, where Joseph's family came from. Many people were traveling at that time, so the inns were full, and when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay. It is said that they took shelter in a stable, where animals were kept, when it was time for Jesus to be born. There wasn't a crib or a cradle in that place, so they wrapped the new baby up and laid him in the hay that was there for the animals to eat. The story goes that some shepherds, out on the nearby hills with their sheep, saw the sky become filled with angels singing in celebration of this birth, so that the shepherds came to the stable to see the baby for themselves. Another story says that a group of scholars from a far away foreign land saw a bright new star, and decided to follow it, to see what it meant. After a long journey, the star led them to the place where the baby Jesus was, and they gave him precious gifts. Soon a jealous king decided to get rid of the baby, because someday Jesus might be a better king than he was, so he told his soldiers to kill all the baby boys in that region. But Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus and fled a long way off, to Egypt, so that the evil king could not find him. When he grew up, Jesus became a wise and beloved teacher, who spoke of a loving god and a beautiful world of justice, generosity, kinship, and peace.

(music)

Another famous teacher was born in China about five hundred years before the birth of Jesus; this was the man who would be known to the world as Confucius. His father, Shu -Liang He, was a respected soldier and local magistrate, but by the time he reached the age of 60, his first wife had given birth to nine daughters, and his second wife had only a son with badly crippled feet. Shu Liang He wanted a healthy son who could grow up to be a strong warrior like himself, and so without asking the rest of his family, he brought home a third wife, Yen Cheng Tsai, who was about seventeen years old at the time. Knowing that it was only by giving birth to a healthy son that she could ensure her place in the family, Yen Cheng Tsai went to pray at a shrine on Niqiou mountain. It is said that while she wandered alone in the beautiful forests there, she was approached by a magical creature, a unicorn, who seemed to want to give her a piece of jade that was in its mouth. Throwing a ribbon over the animal's horn to be sure that it was real, Yen Cheng Tsai took the jade tablet, and found these words inscribed on it: "Pure son of the crystal mountain; when dynasties have crumbled, he shall rule as a king without a throne." She knew then that she would indeed give birth to a son, and that her child would grow up to be an exceptional person.

Later, when the time had come for her baby to be born, people began to see amazing things in the skies above their village. First, two great dragons appeared, curling in and out among the clouds, keeping guard over the mother until her child was born. Then the five immortal sages, teachers so wise that they never die, but live on the planets out in space, came to earth to see for themselves the wonderful child who was to be born that day. And finally, five heavenly musicians played harps and flutes and filled the sky with music, singing the news that the child was born - and just at that moment, he was.

Shu Liang He and Yen Cheng Tsai observed that their son was not a particularly pretty baby; he had a homely face, and a lump on his head, so they called him Kung Chiu - Chiu means 'hill' or 'mountain.' The legends tell that soon after he was born, some characters of Chinese writing seemed to appear on the baby Kung Chiu's chest, and when the local scholars were called in to see them, they confirmed the prophecies of the jade tablet and the heavenly musicians; this child would be a great ruler and teacher of justice.

Kung Chiu's baby years were happy, but when he was only three years old, his father Shu Liang He died, and the young child and his mother were cast out by the rest of the family. They returned to Hen Cheng Tsai's hometown, where they lived in poverty for many years. In spite of these hardships, Kung Chiu set his heart on learning everything he possibly could, and he grew up to be a very famous teacher and law-giver, who showed people how to live with honor, dignity, and self-restraint, giving respect and kindness to each other, and creating a peaceful community. He was never a king, but kings sought his wisdom, and instead of Kung Chiu, he became known as Kung-fu-tze, which means Kung the teacher, or Kung the sage. Today he is remembered all over the world as the philosopher and spiritual leader Confucius.

(music)

Wonder stories are also told about a baby born around the same time in India, who would become known to the world as the Buddha. This child was born into a royal family; his father was King Suddhodana, and his mother was the beloved Queen Mahamaya. One night Mahamaya had a dream in which angels carried her to a golden palace high in the Himalayan mountains. While she was there, the soul that was to become the Buddha took the form of a luminous white elephant, and entered the queen's womb for his last birth into the world. Such an important event literally shook the earth; there were earthquakes and thunder everywhere. When Mahamaya awoke, she was in her own home, and she spoke of the strange dream to her husband the king. Suddhodana called his royal advisors to see what they thought this dream meant, and they answered that it was good news; the queen would have a child who would be destined for greatness.

As the time for her to give birth approached, Queen Mahamaya was to be taken to the city where her parents lived, to have her baby there. But she grew weary on the journey, and stopped in a garden park called the Grove of Lumbini. Legend says that when she entered the garden, all the birds began to sing, and all the flowers suddenly burst into full blossom. Tree branches bent down to give her support, but the baby was born easily, with no pain, while she stood upright, resting against the trunk of a Sala tree. It is told that four angels held the child as he was born, and four magical kings laid him on a soft antelope skin, since there was no crib or cradle in the garden. Another legend recounts that moments after his birth, the infant stood up, took seven steps, and announced, "This is the last time I shall be reborn; in this life, I will cross the ocean of all existence." Wherever his feet touched the ground, white lotus flowers sprang up. But soon he became as any other infant, and the travelers returned to King Suddhodana's palace, while angels filled the sky above them with song.

But even this happy birth had its dark side, for seven days after her son was born, Queen Mahamaya died, and left the child in the care of her sister. Both his father and his aunt loved the boy tenderly, and tried to provide him with everything that he could ever want, so that he would grow up to be a splendid king and righteous ruler like his father. But the boy Siddhartha always thought that there had to be more to life and wisdom than always getting whatever you want, so later in his life he set out to find a way to help people escape from sickness, suffering, and death. He grew into a wise and compassionate teacher, who taught others how to end desires and the pain caused by our self-delusions. Because of this, he became known as the Buddha, which means the enlightened one.

(music)

Angels and magical creatures, skies filled with music, signs and wonders - it is only in retrospect that such legends grow up around the heroes of the human race. There are many more stories like these, of course; every religion, every culture has them, foretelling the greatness of those who are remembered for wisdom, or compassion, or courage that changes the world. But the truth is that every child comes into this world both unique and unformed, with gifts to offer and with challenges to overcome. The most powerful ruler began life as a helpless infant; the wisest sage once knew nothing but the soothing of a mother's voice. Each of us is born within the shining of a star of possibility; the stories of magic and power are there to remind us of the wonder that is right in front of us all the time, if we will but open our eyes to it. The holy family is every circle of love that surrounds a new infant; the holy child is every baby born into the world. The miracle of each new birth might, indeed, shake and save the stony earth, if we saw it for what it truly is. In this season of celebration, may the story of the child in the stable remind us to honor the eternal mystery of all birth, and in the shining of a star, remember who we most deeply are.

(music)

Reading - each night a child is born

Offering:

May the gifts of this season of generosity honor not only those we hold most dear, but also the needs of a larger family and a wider world. In this spirit, this morning's offering in support of the work of this society will now be received.

Intro to Santa Lucias:

In Scandinavian cultures, the traditions of Santa Lucia go back long before the coming of Christianity. The goddess of the winter solstice, protector of the stored grain, was envisioned as a beautiful young woman, dressed all in white, surrounded by a halo of light. With the advent of Christian mythology, this figure of light, Lucia, became associated with an Italian saint, who legend says wore a crown of candles so that she might use her hands to carry food to the early Christians hiding in the catacombs of Rome. Today Lucy is portrayed by girls robed in white dresses and red sashes, with wreathes of greenery and candles on their heads, who bring special cakes to family and friends at the solstice season. The well-loved hymn to Santa Lucia reveals its pre-Christian origins, with its imagery of the goddess who arrives in darkness, heralding the return of the sun. After the close of the service, we invite you to share cookies served by our own Santa Lucias. Let's sing together as they enter.

Song and Procession

Closing Words:

As the chill hand of winter tightens its grip upon us,

And sets the death-watch over a long, tired year,

Let us kindle within our hearts the gladdening flame of the yuletide season,

That we may fling against the blackness of the slow, cold nights

And against the depths of all human misery, cruelty and despair,

Lives newborn in mercy and love, with goodwill toward people everywhere,

And renew humanity's ancient dream of peace upon the earth.