To have your joys and sorrows shared aloud, please write them on a card at the table up front or e-mail them to joyconcern@uucpa.org. At 11, in addition to the above, you can post your joys and sorrows in the Zoom chat box. A silent candle is always welcome as well.

Welcome and Announcements                                                               Rev. Amy Zucker

                                                                Morgenstern

Reset your alarms: Beginning next week, December 25, we have one Sunday service at 10:15, year round. How wonderful it will be to be together!

Please let friends know who are coming to the Solstice Service and Christmas Eve Services that proof of the bivalent booster is required for everyone age 5 and up. COVID hospitalizations are rising fast, we want to abide by the congregation’s wishes on this point, and we would be particularly sad to send anyone home who had come out to these special services. So please help us spread the word!

Today:

Community Carol Singing 10:30 am, in the grassy area (near peace pole), between the services

Sunday Service – No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant 11 am, UUCPA Main Hall & Online

Town Hall reporting on Financial Feasibility Study 12:30 pm

Menorah lighting – 6-6:15 pm via Zoom

NO Coming of Age, OWL Grades 7-9, or Senior High Youth Group – SHYG today.

This week:

Gardening @ UUCPA Monday, 12/19 10 am, UUCPA

Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting Monday, 12/19 7 pm

Sacred Text Reading Group (Wed.) Wednesday, 12/21 12 pm,

Winter Solstice Service Wednesday, 12/21 7 pm, Main Hall–Bring proof of bivalent vaccine

Saturday Meditation 12/24 9 am

NO Sacred Text Reading Group (Saturday) 12/24 4 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Saturday, 12/24 6:30 pm, Main Hall–Bring proof of bivalent vaccine

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Saturday, 12/24 8 pm, Main Hall (bring proof of bivalent vaccine) and online

The Sunday Service on Christmas Day, 12/25, is at 10:15 am in the Fireside Room. In order to give as many staff and volunteers the day off as possible, there is no childcare available that morning and the service will not be shown online.

Prelude                                                        Gaudette / Spangoletta                         Four Shillings Short

16th c. sacred Christmas carol, author unknown / Michael Praetorius

Chalice Lighting        Tracy Bleakney, Welcoming the Stranger   Rev. Cat Boyle                         

Centering Words                               Victoria Safford, The Moment of Magic        Amy Morgenstern        

The Ḥanukah Story                                                                            Amy Morgenstern and all

Offering                                               The Ditchling Carol                        Four Shillings Short

Welsh Carol from 1830's: words William Robert Spencer, music Peter Parsons

You can give via credit card or Paypal at www.uucpa.org/connection/donate 

or send the text message “uucpaoffering” to the number 44321.

 For payments towards your annual pledge, use “uucpa20222023.”

Story for All Ages                                 A Visit from St. Nicholas                Greg Becker (9:30)

      attributed to Clement C. Moore                Eric Bier (11:00)

Song                                                            Jingle Bells

Caring and Sharing    

11:00 Anthem                `             Durme, Durme (Ladino lullaby, arr. Eddleman)        UUCPA Adult Choir

Movement Meditation                                                                Rev. Cat Boyle

The No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant                                                Amy, Cat, and All

Song                                                          Joy to the World

Chalice Extinguishing                       Howard Thurman, The Work of Christmas        Amy Morgenstern

11:00 Sung Benediction                                                                UUCPA Adult Choir  

Postlude                                Dona Nobis Pacem, Traditional                 Four Shillings Short

Benediction                                                                            All

Please check that your audio and video are enabled.

Go out into the world in peace

Be of good courage

Hold fast to what is good

Return no one evil for evil

Strengthen the faint-hearted

Support the weak

Help the suffering

Rejoice in beauty

Speak love with word and deed

Honor all beings.

Greeting Time

Music Director: Bruce Olstad                                 Pianist: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe

Special music: Four Shillings Short: Christy Martin & Aodh Og O'Tuama

Worship tech and online community creation: Greg Becker, Tim Berry, Byron Brown, Kay Brown, Heather Chen, Bill Hilton, Paul Kostka, Steve Ludington, Kevin Ma, William Phelps, Jesse Schwab.