This Sunday we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the uniquely Unitarian ritual of flower communion.  Please bring a flower with you to worship.  Any flower you like is fine:  a wildflower, a flower from your garden, a flower bought from a store, humble or proud, showy or plain.  The idea is that the various individual flowers will represent each of us in all our unique beauty, worth, and dignity and will make a glorious bouquet together.  Then, at the close of the service, we will each take away a flower from the bouquet, representing how in our separate lives we remained connected to the community.

I will explain more about the ritual’s origins and meaning during the worship service  but remember to bring a flower!  (And if you forget, don’t worry, we will have plenty of extra flowers so everyone can participate.)

Also, during this Sunday’s service we will take time to recognize the many volunteers who served the church throughout the past year.  I’ve asked committee chairs to help me recognize everyone who has served on a committee or taken on tasks around the church.  We want to say a formal and enthusiastic “thank you” for your service to our community.

Finally, plan to stay after worship for our Congregational Meeting.  This representation of our Unitarian Universalist principles of democracy and self-governance is an important expression of our faith as well as our time to make important decisions about our finances and leadership.