Congregation Unitarian Universalist

Story for All Ages:  (the children go to Religious Education at the end of the story and the adults sing "Spitit of Life" )

Today we have a very special Story for all ages called " A Light For Luucy" by by Connie Dunn

When Luucy was just nine years old, she began to wonder about all the winter holidays and how they could come together in one big celebration.

One of her friends came from India and celebrated Divali, which is the Hindu harvest festival. In India, Divali is celebrated by honoring Laksmi, the goddess of good fortunes. It is called the Festival of Lights. Luucy liked the idea of lighting lots of candles.

Another friend was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah, which is a Jewish celebration that honors a miracle in about 175 B.C.E. when the Syrian-Greeks took over the Jewish Temples. The Maccabees led a war of indepdendence and when they returned to the Temple and lit the Lamp of Life, there was only a tiny amount of oil. But this flame lasted for eight days, long enough for messengers to return with a full store of oil. Today, the Menorah has eight candles to represent this miracle.

Another of Luucy's friends was Pagan and celebrated Winter Solstice, which is an ancient Pagan celebration of light. Winter Solstice falls on the shortest day of the year. The celebration is in honor of the returning light. In some cultures, this celebration focuses on the rebirth of the Sun god, which honors the renewal or lengthening of daylight. Luucy's friend decorated a Solstice Tree and attended a celebration with lots of dancing around a bonfire.

One other friend of Luucy's was of Swedish heritage and celebrated Santa Lucia, the Swedish Celebration of Light or the honoring of Saint Lucy. Luucy was even more curious after learning about Saint Lucy, so she went to the library and learned more about the tradition. In Sweden and other countries in the northern parts of Europe, she learned that the oldest girl in the family would get up early on Santa Lucia Day and bake the traditional breakfast breads and don a crown of evergreen and candles as she served her parents and the rest of the family breakfast. In more recent years, the tradition has included boys as Star Boys.

Another of Luucy's friends was Christian and celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ or Jesus. They hung lights on a Christmas tree and even outside on the trees and around the roof of the house. They lit many candles and even held candlelight services.

One other friend was African American and celebrated Kwanzaa, which is a seven-day celebration of service to each other and involves lighting the seven Kwanzaa candles on a Kinara. It is the only truly American-made light celebration. It honors the gathering together of family, the commemoration of ancestors, the rededication to growth of the community and the offering of gratitude for life's good.

As a Unitarian Universalist, Luucy had certainly learned about many traditions. And though they were all very wonderful celebrations, Luucy wondered what sort of celebration she should have as a UU. And so, she created one.

Luucy loved the Festival of Lights as the name of her celebration, even though she was borrowing it from India's Divali celebration. So when other children were celebrating the harvests with Divali and Halloween, Luucy was baking Chalice cookies. At Thanksgiving when others were baking pies and roasting turkeys, Luucy was baking Chalice cookies. When everyone else was baking Christmas and Hanukkah cookies, Luucy baked Chalice cookies in all varieties includes those with M&Ms and chocolate chunks. And when her friends were celebrating Kwanzaa, Luucy was still baking Chalice cookies.

When most of her friends were playing with the toys they had received for the various holidays, Luucy began her own special Festival of Lights celebration. She lit all the candles for Divali and said the Laksmi chant:

Aum Sring Hring Kleeng Maha Lakxmaye Namah Aum

She lit the candles on the Menorah for Hanukkah and said the Hanukkah blessing:

Ba-rooch a-ta a-do-nai, el-o-hey-nu me-lech ha-o-lam
a-sher kid-shah-nu b'mitz-vo-tav, v'tzee-va-nu l'
had-leek ner, shel Ha-nuk-kah

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has sanctified us with His commandments and
commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

Ba-rooch a-ta a-do-nai, el-o-hey-nu me-lech ha-o-lam
shes-asa nee-seem la-a-vo-tev-nu ba-ya-meem ha-hem
had-leek ner, shel Ha-nuk-kah

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who performed miracles fo our ancestors in days gone by,
at this season of the year.

She lit candles for the Solstice and said the blessing:

Blessings on this day, the Winter Solstice.

Blessings for the sun that it might return once more.

Blessings for the people that light might shine in their hearts.

Blessings for the earth that life grows deep in its womb.

Blessings on the people that peace might prevail.

Blessings on this Winter Solstice day.

Blessed be!

She lit more candles for Santa Lucia and recited the words of the wake-up song:

Through snowy winter days
Thy song comes winging.
To waken earth again
Glad Carols bringing.

Come thou, O Queen of Light
Wearing thy crown so bright.
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

Brightly the silver star
Shines o'er the ocean.
Fair winds woo billows
Calmly in motion,
My bark shall fleetly glide
Over the sea, ah!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

Luucy lit the candles for Christmas and said a Christmas prayer:

When the song of angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the brothers,
to make music in the heart.

Luucy lit the Kwanzaa Kinara candles saying the prayers:

Habari gani?(hah-bar-ee gah-nee)
We light the first Kwanzaa candle,

the black candle, to celebrate umoja, unity.

Habara gani? We light the second Kwanzaa candle,
a red candle to represent
kujichagulia (koo-jee-cha-goo-lee-ah),
self-determination or learning the
traditions that help us define ourselves.
Habari gani? We light the third Kwanzaa candle,
a green candle to honor
ujima (oo-jee-mah), responsibility.
Habari gani? We light the fourth Kwanzaa candle,
a red candle to celebrate ujama (oo-jah-maah),
cooperative economics.
Habari gani? We light the fifth Kwanzaa candle,
a green candle to reflect nia (nee-ah),
illuminate our purpose.
Habari gani? We light the sixth Kwanzaa candle,
a red candle to celebrate
kuumba (ku-oom-bah),
creativity.
Habari gani? We light the seventh Kwanzaa candle
to honor imani (ee-mahn-ee), faith.

Then, Luucy lit the most sacred of all the lights. She lit the Chalice and recited all seven Unitarian Universalist Principles:

We Believe:
That each and every person is important;
That all people should be treated fairly and kindly;
That we should accept one another and keep on learning together;
That each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life;
That all persons should have a vote about the things that concern them;
In working for a peaceful, fair and free world; and
In caring for our planet earth, the home we share with all living things.

Afterwards, Luucy delivered cookies to nursing homes, retirement homes and group homes for the mentally challenged. She delivered cookies to families that had been too poor to celebrate any holiday. She delivered cookies to hospitals and police stations. She delivered cookies to friends and family. And with every package of cookies, Luucy had included a note. It said:

This is my Festival of Lights celebration. The Chalice is a symbol of love that lights my life. And with these Chalice Cookies, I hope you find a spark of light from whatever divine entity you believe. As a Unitarian Universalists, we believe that each day like the first day of the year can be a new beginning of diversity, love, fairness and hope, because we are all part of the interdependent web of life.

Hymn::    # 123  (STLT)   "Spirit of Life"   by Carolyn McDade (adapted)

Spirit of Life, come unto us,
Sing in our hearts all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
Move in our hands, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold us close; wings set us ,;
Spirit of Life, come to us, come to me.

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