A Unitarian Universalist Breviary Being a Unitarian Universalist, and needing an active contemplative (dare I say quasi-monastic) life, I wrote a series of prayer bead, devotional, and canodical hour rites for my use. Since freedom and respect of belief is a basic principle of the Unitarian Universalist faith, I make my breviary public, and offer it to you for your use. Customize it in the way you must to seek and listen to the holy in your life. If you choose to use it, then I would love to hear from you! Peace, Justin Canonical Hours / Daily Office <#hours> Devotions <#devotions> Prayer Beads <#beads> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Canonical Hours for Individuals /¶ As soon as you wake, or have your breakfast, say:/ Divine Spark, from sacred dark, symbol of our holy intent: illuminate this day. /and make your bed./ /¶ Begin your day with a Reading / This is my simple religion - there is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples, my philosophy is kindness. -Dalai Lama /¶ While showering, recite a covenant:/ Love is the spirit of this church, the quest for truth its sacrament, and service its prayer: To dwell together in peace, to seek the knowledge in freedom, to serve humankind in fellowship, to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the Divine -- Thus we do covenant with each other and with God. /¶ Before breakfast, chores, or your work, say: / What good shall I do today? /review your calendar, goals and purposes , then say a chalice lighting for the day/ This chalice burns for /[name... who... and...]/ those who affirm and promote /[daily principle]/. May we tend this fire always, ever vigilent and courageous. Sunday: 1 The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Monday: 2 Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Tuesday: 3 Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; Wednesday: 4 A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; Thursday 5 The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; Friday 6 The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Saturday: 7 Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. /¶ Throughout the day, when you see someone, think:/ This chalice burns for /[name]/. My /he/ be well. And may we tend this fire always, ever vigilant and courageous. /¶ At noontime, or before eating lunch say: / What good am I doing today? /followed by a canticle: / From all that dwell below the skies / Let faith and hope with love arise / Let beauty, truth and good be sung / Through every land, by every tongue. /¶ When your daily work is completed, or before the evening meaal, say:/ What good have I done today? /Then followed by a prayer:/ Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. /¶ A reading / /¶ Before retiring, put your chalice out, saying a bedtime prayer: / Universal mystery, Guide us away from the desire to shine light in all the corners. Teach us to embrace the night. For without the darkness, we never see the stars. -Jennifer Leota Gray ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A form of daily devotions for Unitarian Universalists /¶ For convenience, a hymn, reading, and prayer are provided. When desired, however, other words (appropriate to the day or occasion) may be used instead. When more than one person is present, the Reading and community prayer may be read by one person, and the other parts said in unison, or in some other convenient manner. / /¶ The devotion begins with an opening sentence, and a chalice may be lit / We gather this hour as people of faith with joys and concerns, gifts and needs. We light this beacon of hope, sign of our quest for truth and meaning, in celebration of the life we share together. /¶ A Reading/ The primary expression of Unitarian Universalist values is our principles, which affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. -Matthew and Gale Tittle, _Bless all who serve._ /¶ A period of silence or reflection may follow. A hymn may be used/ Spirit of Life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the land, giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close; wings set me free. Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me. /¶ A covenent may be said:/ Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest of truth is its sacrament, and service is its prayer. To dwell together in peace, to seek knowledge of freedom, to serve humankind in fellowship, to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the Divine -- Thus do we covenant with each other and with God. -James Vila Blake /¶ Prayers are offered for ourselves and others./ Spirit of Community, in which we share and find strength and common purpose, we turn our minds and hearts toward one another seeking to bring into our circle of concern all who need our love and support: those who are ill, those who are in pain, either in body or in spirit, those who are lonely, those who have been wronged. /[Here, people my say the names of those to be remembered]./ We are part of a web of life that makes us one with all humanity, one with all the universe. We are grateful for the miracle of consciousness that we share, the consciousness that gives us the power to remember, to love, to care. /¶ The prayer of Jesus (commonly called the Lord's Prayer) may be said./ Form One: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Form Two: Oh thou, whose kingdom is within, may all thy names by hallowed. May no one of them be turned against the others to divide those who address thee. May thy pesence be made known to us in mercy, beauty, love, and justice. May thy kingdom come to be in the life of all humankind. May it come with peace, with sharing, and in a near time. Give us this day our daily bread, free from all envy and alienation, broken and blessed in the sharing. Keep us from trespass against others, and from the feeling that others are trespassing against us. Forgive us more than we have forgiven. Deliver us from being tempted by lesser things to be heedless of the one great thing: the give of thyself in us. -Jacob Trapp /¶ A Benediction / May the Love which overcomes all differences, which heals all wounds, which puts to flight all fears, which reconciles all who are separated, be in us and among us now and always. /¶ or, if devotions are said before a meal: / To you I give, from you I receive. Together we share, and this is how we live. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A form of UU prayer / meditation beads arrangement: * $ [$ 0 . . . . . . . (x4)] $ $ * /Cross/ Divine Spark, from sacred dark: symbol of our holy intent: illuminate this day. /Invitatory Bead/ Love is the spirit of this church, and service its law. This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, To seek the truth in freedom and to help one another. /Cruciform Bead (x4)/ We affirm and promote seven concepts /Week Beads (x4)/ 1 Dignity 2 Kindness 3 Spirit 4 Truth 5 Democracy 6 Peace and Justice 7 Embeddedness /Cruciform Bead/ From all that dwell below the skies / Let faith and hope with love arise / Let beauty, truth and good be sung / Through every land, by every tongue. /Closing Invitatory Bead/ Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. /Closing Cruciform Bead/ This chalice burns for [name... who... may s/he... and for] those who affirm and promote [principle]. May we tend this fire always, ever vigilant and courageous. /Sunday: 1 The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Monday: 2 Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Tuesday: 3 Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; Wednesday: 4 A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; Thursday 5 The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; Friday 6 The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Saturday: 7 Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part./ ------------------------------------------------------------------------