As we gather together there is some technical information that most of you already know, but just in case someone does not:
There is a copy of the service in the red book next to the door to the sanctuary.
The service will be in voice and text.
Worship music will be in the media player.
Thank you for not touching the media player—We have learned the hard way that if you poke it, it gets cranky and the video stops playing for everyone.  
So if the player isn't working in your viewer, please follow the YouTube link!
GATHERING: 
I know it's only New Year's Eve, but I just couldn't help myself with this next piece.  And quite frankly this year I'm really feeling the lyric:
"we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one
I...I will begin again"
"New Year's Day"
~U2
YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdLuk2Agamk

Please feel free to type any announcements you have for us into Local Chat.

WELCOME
Welcome to First United Church of Christ and Conference Center, Second Life.
We have official standing with the Eastern Association of the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ as a Real Life church located in Second Life.
And I still think that's pretty cool, because I have sat in South Central Pennsylvania—I have sat in Northern Maine—
and I am currently sitting in Central Connecticut—
and I still think it's pretty cool that we can partner with my brothers and sisters all across the country 
and all of you wherever you are!
Speaking of wherever you are:
"No matter who you are, 
or where you are on life's journey, 
you are welcome here."
Most churches have a time of offering.
Making an offering, sharing what you can in God’s name, is a spiritual practice.
That offering can be one of prayer or of presence, 
of work on behalf of the church doing things like reading scripture or serving on the board of directors,
of helping with any of the many things that are needed for the church to function,
and/or, that offering can be one of money.
As a UCC church, we support the work of the wider church both with prayer and with donations. 
And it's true that we don't have a physical building, but there are monetary costs for this ministry to function.
So if you would like to make an offering by participating in leading worship or social events,
or if you would like to become a member of this church,
let any clergy or staff member know.
If you would like to make a financial offering to support this ministry there is a donation bowl by the door to the sanctuary, 
or if you prefer you can make a donation in RL currency on our website:
www.firstuccsl.org
And since we are a 501(c)(3) public charity, monetary donations are tax deductible in the U.S. 
We thank you for the blessing of your presence and your offering of support. 
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Today I'm doing something just a little different.  
There will be scripture (it's from the very beginning of the Bible, the first chapter of Genesis) but it will be interspersed between selections from two other interpretations of the beginning of things:
_The Magician's Nephew_, by C.S. Lewis and _The Way of the Wolf_, by Martin Bell.
I think you'll see what the three things have to do with each other as we go, but I want to be sure to say that I thought of this because it's New Year's Eve:
We're on the cusp of one year's end and another year's beginning.
And I think that's a perfect opportunity for us to try new things and do every little thing we can to make the world a better.  Don't you?
SERMON      "Creation Stories"
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.  

Before there was anything, there was nothing.  The Story told of nothing.  A great bearded legend stalking about in emptiness, the Story was not something.  Cosmic dimensions were not.  The eternal came from nowhere.  There were no hopes.  No dreams.  No aspirations.  Life and death had yet to be.  Spinning, whirling, crushing vortex of God, the Story was not lonely.  The legend was not new.  From nothing arose energy.  From void came forth what never was.  Imagine the power of God without thunder, the majesty of God as Story, as fable, utterly fabulous.  Tell the Story of no-time, no-space, no-thing, no-one, no-body.

In the darkness something was happening at last.  A voice had begun to sing.  It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming.  Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them.  It’s lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself.  There were no words.  There was hardly even a tune.  But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard.  It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it…  

Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.  

Then two wonders happened at the same moment.  One was that the voice was suddenly joined by the other voices; more voices than you could possibly count.  They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale:  cold tingling, silvery voices.  The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars.  They didn’t come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening.  One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leapt out—single stars, constellations, and planets…  There were no clouds.  The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time.  If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.

God called the light Day, and the darkness they called Night.  And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Out of nothing came time.  And space erupted in the first somewhere.  Space-time became duration.  Thus the Story had a beginning.  Now also it could continue, it could end.  

The eastern sky changed from white to pink and from pink to gold.  The Voice rose and rose till all the air was shaking with it.  And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose.  Digory had never seen such a sun…  You could imagine that it laughed for joy as it came up…  

And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’  And it was so.  God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together they called Seas.  And God saw that it was good.  

The earth was of many colours:  they were fresh, hot and vivid.  They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.  It was a Lion.  Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun.  It’s mouth was wide open in song…

Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’  And it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.  

The Lion was pacing to and fro about that empty land and singing his new song.  And as he walked and sang, the valley grew green with grass.  It spread out from the Lion like a pool.  In a few minutes it was creeping up the lower slopes of the distant mountains, making that young world every moment softer.

And God saw that it was good.  

The Lion was singing still.  But now the song had once more changed.  It was more like what we should call a tune, but it was also far wilder.  It made you want to run and jump and climb…  Can you imagine a stretch of grassy land bubbling like water in a pot?  For that is really the best description of what was happening.  In all directions it was swelling into humps…  And the humps moved and swelled till, they burst, and the crumbled earth poured out of them, and from each hump there came out an animal.

And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’  And it was so.  God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind.  And God saw that it was good.

Imagine the power of God at the dawn of creation—eternal legend permeating the matrix of historical situation.  All as it was intended, to be sure.  Nevertheless, for the first time, the Story was lonely, and afraid.

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness…  So God created humankind in their image, in the image of God they created them; male and female they created them…  God saw everything that they had made, and indeed, it was very good.  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude.  And…  God finished the work that they had done, and they rested.

PRAYER PREPARATION:
I didn't go looking for this.  I was trying to find a piece of music based on the concept of "star song."  But I think the overall message of the piece is actually right on for tonight.
So congrats!  Have a little joy from a character who looked into the face of war and destruction and decided to name himself for one who heals.
That's right, his name is simply "The Doctor."
"Music of the Spheres"
~Doctor Who
YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6fvkKlCn8

We have come to our time in worship that I really do believe is the core of what we do here together, and that is where we uplift our joys and concerns with one another in prayer.
And so I would like to invite you to enter this time of prayer with a sense of reverence. 
We're about to enter into a conversation with God, and that shouldn't be done lightly,
but rather "... with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"  (Ephesians 4:2-3) 
Please type your prayers into chat, or if you need to use voice simply emote raising your hand so everybody can have a voice.
And as we pray together, you may wish to respond to others with words like, "God hear our prayer," or with any other words the Spirit leads to you use.
COMMUNITY PRAYER
If there was a prayer inside of you that you couldn't quite get out, it's ok.
Because the Psalmist tells us that God knows what we are going to say before the words can even form on our tongues.
And so we know.
We _ know _ that God has heard our prayers.  Those spoken out loud, those typed into SL chat, and those spoken only in the silence of our hearts.
And that we pray them in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
LISTEN!
We have done a lot of talking.  Let us take a moment of silence to listen to what God might be saying.
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening...
PASTORAL PRAYER
God of the Ages, we have faced difficult times in this past year. 
Remind us of how You cared for Your people when they were oppressed in Egypt, when they were lost in the wilderness. 
Remind us of how Your love was made known to the exiles in Babylon, and how You made their joy complete as they returned home. 
As we prepare to return from an exile, remind us that it took years for our ancestors in the faith, and it may take longer than we expect to return from this exile. 
Prepare our hearts, O God, to love one another more deeply than we did before. 
Prepare our minds, O God, to pursue justice more heartily than we did before. 
Prepare our bodies, O God, to embrace and care for each other in ways that honor boundaries and protect each other, but also offer the nurturing touch that many of us need. 
Prepare us, O God, to love and care for each other as You have loved and cared for us in this time of exile. 
We look to our future with hope in this coming year, knowing You are with us, every moment, as we wait.  Amen.    (Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, http://rev-o-lution.org)
BENEDICTION:
And now it really is just this simple:
God loves you
So don't forget to love each other
Go with God
Go in Peace
And amen!
CLOSING:  
On the surface, this song is about closing down a bar.  But if you think about it for a bit, you'll realize that it's not about drinking at all.
It's about endings.
And beginnings.
"Time for you to go out to the places you will be from..."
"Closing Time"
~Semisonic
Lyrics:
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/semisonic/closingtime.html
YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGytDsqkQY8