Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

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Clay Nelson © 17 September 2023

Here is a factoid about your minister I hope to have kept from you for nine years. In secondary school, I was a band nerd. I wasn’t the cool one playing the sexy alto sax like I wanted. Instead, I was consigned over my objections to playing the tuba. It was even more humiliating as I was one of the smallest in the band.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

Read below or download the PDF

Follow this shortcut to the bottom of the page for the various readings, videos, etc. shared in the service.

Clay Nelson © 13 August 2023

As has been mentioned once or twice recently, and to my great sadness, I am retiring at the end of the month. Because I have loved all forty-one years of my ordained ministry in two denominations and my nine years with you, I want to scream, “Nah, this isn’t how I planned it.” But, ”Yeah, it is the reality I must come to accept…kind of.”

The expectation of ministers, when they retire, is to absent themselves for at least a year from the congregation they served to make room for the new minister. As trained UU ministers don’t grow on trees here or in Australia, and it will be a while before we can hire my replacement, I’ve been asked to help fill the vacuum on a voluntary basis while you figure out where you want to go.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

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Follow this shortcut to the bottom of the page for the various readings, videos, etc. shared in the service.

Clay Nelson © 30 July 2023

My father loved words. The Oxford English Dictionary and books on etymology, the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed throughout history, were never far from his fingertips. If he couldn’t find just the right word for the book he was writing, he had no reluctance in just creating a word that captured his intent. He passed on his love of words to me. That was to my benefit in seminary, where I was required to take two semesters of word study. It was essential to preparing sermons. Our task was to fully understand biblical words in all their meanings, translations and uses in biblical times so they could be applied relevantly in our modern and cultural context. I know it sounds boring and tedious, but thanks to Dad, I loved it.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

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Follow this shortcut to the bottom of the page for the various readings, videos, etc. shared in the service.

Clay Nelson © 23 July 2023

You might remember me telling you the story of the 1969 UUA General Assembly in Boston. It was at the height of the Black empowerment movement in America. For that reason, many Black UUs attended instead of the token few who usually came. White UUs were shocked and wondered where they all came from. They had always been there since the 18^th century but had been generally ignored or discounted. We were more diverse than we had been aware of or at least acknowledged. But in 1969, systemic racism reared its ugly head, undermining that diversity and many Black UUs walked out the door, never to return. Much has happened within Unitarian Universalism since then. So, it was highly newsworthy when Sofia Betancourt, a woman, a person of colour and openly queer, was overwhelmingly elected as president of the UUA.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

Organ and Piano:- Jaime Taylor

No recordings this week – technical gremlins attacked.

Links

Opening words:- “A New Song, a New Harmony” By Richard S. Gilbert

Chalice Lighting:- “Chalice Lighting for Music Sunday” By Marnie Singer

Closing Words:- “As we listen to the blessing of music” By Maureen Killoran

Worship Leader:- Rev. Clay Nelson

No recordings this week.

Following our ritual for welcoming new members into the congregation, Clay gave us a whirlwind tour of some of the early New Zealand Unitarians who have gone before us in this congregation.

Opening words:- “New Member Covenant” By Laura Randall

Chalice Lighting:- is adapted from “Chalice Lighting” By Oberlin UU Fellowship, Oberlin, OH, USA

Closing Words:- “Each of us ministers to a weary world” By Darcy Roake