CUUPS-LED SERVICES AT UUSE

It appears to me that there is not much information on open rituals
being shared on the web, so I'd like to take this opportunity
to present the programs from services which have been led by
the CUUPS group in Manchester, CT
within the last two years.
First of all, we are fortunate to have a large open space,
which we fill with folding chairs, as a gathering place,
so we can arrange seating in a circular pattern for these services.
So we usually create an altar space at the center of the circle,
and create North-South and East-West aisles radiating from it between the chairs.
I thought I'd give you that bit of information here,
at the outset, to make it easier for you to picture
the services in your mind.

Sacred Pleasure-A Celebration of Beltane
Sunday, May 3, 1998

Order Of Service

Guests are "smudged" with rose water and proceed around
the circle to visit each of four small altars
before finding a seat

Welcome and Announcements

Pulpit Editorial

Opening Words:"Don't Go Back to Sleep"(a poem by Rumi)

Lighting of the Chalice

Hymn No. 298 "Awake Now My Senses" (Verses 1,2,&5)

Call to Worship:"Beltane and the Wheel of the Year"

A Time for Sharing

Offertory: A special song by the Merry Madrigals

Song:"I was Conceived on a Sunday Afternoon"-
A Tribute to the Directions (Chorus printed in bulletin)

"Sacred Pleasure, a Celebration of Beltane"(reading)

Building a Rain Storm: A participatory experience
followed by a guided meditation on the senses

Participatory Maypole Dance, accompanied by the Merry Madrigals

Closing Circle of the Congregation

Divine Darkness
Sunday, November 23, 1997

What to do for a service in late November?
We chose to pick someone to act as a "seeker"
who entered the circle from the East
She was visited, in turn, by "Dark Goddesses"
from the other three directions, and asked them each the same questions
"Who are you?"
"What Does Your Darkness Look Like?"
"I am Afraid-What Do You Have to Say About My Fear?"
"Is It a Bad Thing to Be Afraid?"
"What Will Happen if I Embrace You?"
It turned out to be a most wonderful service!

Order Of Service

Opening Words and Lighting of the Chalice

Chant:"Chalice and flame, cauldron of change..."

Welcome and Announcements

Call to the Spirits #446

To the Ancestors: Chant "Hey-yo,hey-yo, Love and Respect to You"

Invocation of the Old One

Entrance of the Seeker

Visit of Pele from the South

Visit of Kali from the West

Chant: "It's the Blood of the Ancients That Flows Through Our Veins..."

Visit of Hecate from the North

Guided meditation

Chant:"Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul..."

Time for Sharing

Thank and Dismiss the Spirits

Open the Circle

Closing Circle of the Congregation

Summer Harvest
Sunday, July 27, 1997

For this service we invited members of the congregation
to bring in donations of their summer harvests,
and had baskets of small bread figures which we shared
for the Lammas meal.

Order of Service

Chant-"Come to the Circle through the grove..."

Welcome and Announcements

An Explanation of Lammas

Clearing & Centering

Chant-"Earth My Body, Water my Blood..."

Closing of the Circle

Call to the Spirits #446

Charge of the Goddess

Offertory:"I Pick the Harvest"
Offering of Our Harvests

Time for Sharing

Clearing Out Ritual