Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Rev. K’s Kwerys

May 2, 2008
Rev. Kurt Kuhwald

On Tuesday, April 8, I offered an Invocation. The occasion was the annual fund-raising breakfast for the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (ICWJ). The theme for the breakfast was: “Welcome to the table … Justice is served.” I am a board member of ICWJ and deeply appreciate its incredible support for workers in the Bay Area who are experiencing marginalization, discrimination, unfair labor practices and exploitation. The Hotel Woodfin workers, the service employees of the University of California system (including UCSF Medical), truckers for the Port of Oakland, airport service workers and the service employees of the Claremont Hotel have been central to the efforts of ICWJ to help establish work equity and work fairness right here in River City!

I want to share the invocation with you. May it offer some assistance …

ICWJ Breakfast Invocation ˜ April 8, 2008

Offering invocations at the beginning of special gatherings, gatherings that recognize that humans do not live by breakfasts alone … offering invocations to gatherings is meant to … gather.

Gather strength.

Gather power for the struggle.

Gather in Mystery, the Mystery of the Spirit, the unknowable, the unfathomable, the … spirit of Love that infuses all … all of us … all of the work we do … all the success we are ever able to achieve … we gather in that Mysterious and empowering spirit, that is the spirit of Love. There is a song, a chant that invokes that gathering. We will sing it responsively. I will sing a line … and then you will repeat, soulfully repeat:

Gathered here in the mystery of the hour.
Gathered here in one strong body.
Gathered here in the struggle and the power.
Spirit draw near.

Once we have extended ourselves, opened ourselves, turned our intention to that place of power, strength, mystery and Love … once we have done that … then we have invoked. Then we have brought spaciousness to the table, the rich spaciousness within which justice can truly be served.

So thank you for gathering … and Blessings …

Blessings for your support. Blessings for your work. Blessings for your presence here today.

Those blessings are extended to all of you, all of you who choose to continue supporting UUCPA and each other in this amazing journey, this wondrous path.

— Peace out, Rev. Kurt