Script for Summer Service of 26 June 2005
"How Shakespeare Tells Us Who We Are"
David Mix Barrington and Kat Lovell
Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence

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[WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:]

From both Northampton Town and Florence, we,
The Unitarian Society,
Bid welcome to our members, friends, and all
Who've heeded Sunday's summer worship call.
We hope that you may find with us today
Some thing that whets your mind, and as we say,
Brings warmth unto your heart, and, if you hear it,
Gives voice of consolation to your spirit.

This is the first time we in summer meet
And 'til the day of Labor, in the heat
Each Sunday at the tenth hour of the day
We'll have a service, led by people lay.
If in your pocket sits any device
That might make noise, we bid you to be nice
And still it now.  When this event is done,
We hope that in our parlor, just through one
Of these two doors, you join us for a treat
Of lemonade, and something good to eat.
And now Chris Stetson, lutenist, will play
Our prelude music, known in Shakespeare's day.

[CHRIS PLAYS PRELUDE]

A chalice lighter dear to me as any,
My sister, also known as Rev'rend Jennie.

[REV. JENNIE BARRINGTON LIGHTS CHALICE]

To follow on the lighting of our chalice,
Three-Thirty is the hymn, by Thomas Tallis.

[SING HYMN 330]

Our opening words, before you take your seating,
Are printed in the order of the meeting.

[LEAD CONGREGATION IN READING OPENING WORDS:]
"All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances, 
and one man in his time plays many parts."


Since Shakespeare's time, or give or take a year,
"Old Hundredth" has been used in churches here.
Today, in English and in Spanish tongue,
With lyrics of our own, let it be sung.

[SING OLD 100th, ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSES, KARL PLAYS]

And now, my friends, stay not upon your seat
But offer up thy hand and neighbors greet.

[COMMUNITY GREETING HAPPENS]

The work of this society is great
Like that of Unitarians of old
That such work we might further perpetrate
Part now with some small portion of your gold.

[CHRIS PLAYS, USHERS COLLECT OFFERING]

In spir't of meditation let us be
As we hear Shakespeare's Sonnet Twenty-Three

"As an unperfect actor on the stage 
Who with his fear is put besides his part, 
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage, 
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart. 
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say 
The perfect ceremony of love's rite, 
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, 
O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might. 
O, let my books be then the eloquence 
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, 
Who plead for love and look for recompense 
More than that tongue that more hath more express'd. 
O, learn to read what silent love hath writ: 
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit."

[KARL PLAYS R&J THEME]

[READINGS, SEE READINGS.TXT]

[CHRIS PLAYS LUTE]

[SERMON, SEE SERMON.HTML]

We sing Hymn Seventeen, in which we take
The lyrics from a poem of William Blake.

[SING HYMN 17]

[CLOSING WORDS:]

Next month, the Hampshire Shakespeare Company
Performs the Bard's most famous comedy,
Where to conclude, the mighty Fairy King
In these words bids his subjects blessings bring:

With this field-dew consecrate,
Every fairy take his gait,
And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace, with sweet peace;
And the owner of it blest
Ever shall in safety rest.
Trip away; make no stay,
Meet me all by break of day.

And now before the hour gets too late
We finish with a song from _Kiss Me, Kate_.
So you won't finish up your work before us
We urge you all to join in for the chorus.

[DAVE SINGS, KARL PLAYS]