We did not hold the theme discussion, A House Becomes a Home, month. We invite you to engage deeply with the monthly theme and talk about it to others, aided by the additional material here:
A blessing, Building Blessing by Jennifer Stokes –
We ask blessings on this, our church home.
May this building be a tool to continue the good work of our helping hands, our loving hearts, and open minds.
May this home be safe harbor for all who sail upon the sea of Life, and a beacon of hope to those on rough waters.
May this building be a garden, rooted with truth, compassion, and love, and blossoming into peace, liberty and justice.
We give thanks for the generous people who made this possible.
We are grateful for the continued benevolence of the universe.
Let us not forget those outside our walls who still struggle with their own needs f or shelter and nourishment, of the body and of the soul.
We ask blessing on this, our church home.
A reading, This Is the Home That Love Made by Amanda Poppei
This is the home that love made.
It is full of the love that the founders felt, when they planned out these walls and raised these beams above us.
This is the home that love made.
It is full of the love of all who have worshipped here; those who have celebrated and grieved here; the babies dedicated, couples married, and family members mourned here.
This is the home that love made.
It is full of the love of our children, as they learn and laugh together, and our youth, as they grow into their own sense of purpose and meaning.
This is the home that love made.
It is full of the love of the staff who have served it, full of their hopes for this congregation, their hard work and their acts of dedication.
This is the home that love made.
It is full of the love of the choir, the love made so clear in the voices lifted here on Sunday morning.
This is the home that love made.
It is full of our love: the love of this community, despite our differences and our disagreements; the love that holds us together as a people.
This is the home that love made.
Can you feel it? May the love be with us always. Amen.
Other perspectives on home –
- https://www.uua.org/worship/words/reading/searching-home
- https://www.uua.org/braverwiser/home-where-we-feel-connected
Questions to ask yourself –
- What is the difference between a house and a home?
- What makes a home? How does we create it?
- How is a home tied to land, culture, family?
- How is UUCC a house that becomes a home? When does that happen?
- What does Unitarian Universalism offer as a home to folks?
Closing Reading (used in each theme discussion, and bringing in the annual them, “Under Construction”), Go Forth by Paula Gribble
Go forth from this place knowing you are not a finished structure. This is neither the beginning nor end for you. Instead, know that you – and that everyone – is under construction. Create a blueprint to guide your way. Find the ways to strengthen your foundations. Study the colors and shapes you will add to the décor. Go forth, and know that sometimes the magic is not in the finished structure, but in the building itself. Amen and Blessed Be.
Monthly ministry themes for 2025-26 are:
- September – Under Construction
- October – Blueprint
- November – Builders
- December – Foundation
- January – Interior Design
- February – Crossing the Threshold
- March – DIY
- April – Planting Seeds
- May – A House Becomes a Home
- June – Full Circle
- July – Block Party