The Power of Words and Belief: Shaping Reality Through Intention

Shared at DDUUC on May 11, 2025.

SERVICE OUTLINE:

Welcome & Announcements

Welcome

Poem – Red Brocade, Naomi Shihab Nye

Full poem at https://poets.org/poem/red-brocade

The Arabs used to say,

When a stranger appears at your door,

feed him for three days

before asking who he is,

where he’s come from,

where he’s headed.

That way, he’ll have strength

enough to answer.

Or, by then you’ll be

such good friends

you don’t care…

& Announcements

1. Welcoming Song: Enter, Rejoice, and Come In

2. Chalice Lighting (Incantation)

"Together we gather. Our flame burns bright.
May we manifest love and a world of beauteous wonder
With deliberation and care in our thoughts, words, and deeds."

3. Opening Words / Responsive Reading
A call-and-response poem shared with the congregation.

Leader: An arrow once loosed cannot be called back—
Congregation: But it can be aimed with care, with purpose, with love.
Leader: Our words, once spoken, shape the world around us—
Congregation: May they be blessings that bloom and build.
Leader: Our thoughts give direction to our beliefs,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our beliefs give direction to our intentions,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our intentions give direction to our words,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our words are our actions,
All: May we choose them with care.

Leader (All together at the end): May the circle be unbroken. May it be a blessing for all.

Hymn: #346 Come Sing a Song with Me

4. Story for All Ages: "Free Melons"

No explanation. The story stands on its own.

5. Singing the Children Out: Hymn #413 "Go Now in Peace"

6. Joys and Concerns (Optional Thematic Lead-In)

"Let us hold space for one another with open, thoughtful minds and compassionate hearts. As we share our joys and concerns, may we remember that thoughtful expression and attention to deep listening are the first steps to cultivating our heart's desire—to believe unto receiving, to strengthen our trust in one another as a community."

7. Offering (Optional Thematic Invitation)

"Giving begins with intention. It answers the call to fill a need. Let each give as they see fit and are able. Like words thoughtfully spoken, even the smallest offering can ripple outward as magic, stretching out in breaths even beyond the beyond."

8. Reading and Message/Sermon

Some People

by Rachel Field

Isn't it strange some people make

You feel so tired inside,

Your thoughts begin to shrivel up

Like leaves all brown and dried!

But when you're with some other ones,

It's stranger still to find

Your thoughts as thick as fireflies

All shiny in your mind!

(This poem is in the public domain.)

Sermon Title: The Force Is With You: Creating New Worlds with Thoughtful Intention

SERVICE OUTLINE:

The Power of Words and Belief:

Shaping Reality Through Intention

Welcome & Announcements

Chalice Lighting (Unison)

"Together we gather. Our flame burns bright.
May we manifest love and a world of beauteous wonder
With deliberation and care in our thoughts, words, and deeds."

Hymn: #346 Come Sing a Song with Me

Responsive Reading —?

A call-and-response poem shared with the congregation.

Leader: An arrow once loosed cannot be called back—
Congregation: But it can be aimed with care, with purpose, with love.
Leader: Our words, once spoken, shape the world around us—
Congregation: May they be blessings that bloom and build.
Leader: Our thoughts give direction to our beliefs,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our beliefs give direction to our intentions,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our intentions give direction to our words,
All: May we choose them with care.
Leader: Our words are our actions,
All: May we choose them with care.

Leader (All together at the end): May the circle be unbroken. May it be a blessing for all.

Opening Words - Jan

Story for All Ages: "Free Melons"

No explanation. The story stands on its own.

5. Singing the Children Out: Hymn #413 "Go Now in Peace"

6. Joys and Concerns / Acknowledgments of the Heart

"Let us hold space for one another with open, thoughtful minds and compassionate hearts. As we share our joys and concerns, may we remember that thoughtful expression and attention to deep listening are the first steps to cultivating our heart's desire—to believe unto receiving, to strengthen our trust in one another as a community."

7. Offertory

Giving begins with intention. It answers the call to fill a need. Let each give as they see fit and are able. Like words thoughtfully spoken, even the smallest offering can ripple outward as magic, stretching out in breaths even beyond the beyond.

Sermon Title:

The Power of Words and Belief: Shaping Reality Through Intention

I’m very happy to be here today. Thank you for your warm welcome.

Across cultures and throughout history, people have always recognized that words have held power.

Thought is an action; a spoken word is an action. They have the power to move, to alter, to create.

They are binding forces.

Oaths spoken aloud are thought to be unbreakable, a testament to reality.

Spells—whether in ancient temples or whispered over a sickbed—are based on the belief that uttering them with intention will shape the outcome.

Honor was measured by the truth of one’s word, and to give one’s word was a contract stronger than paper.

In every case—prayer, oath, blessing, curse, vow, promise, spell—the understanding is the same:

A spoken word is both a declaration and a cause. A ripple. A change-maker. A force.

And once spoken, the word cannot be recalled, undone, or unthought.

Words do not merely describe reality.

They participate in it.

They sculpt it.

We began today with a story for all ages about “free melons” in the marketplace. At first glance, this seems like a simple tale with an ironic twist about a man’s words coming back to haunt him, but it holds a much deeper truth. That truth rests in the power of words —and the forces that are set in motion—when we put them into action—whether intentionally or not.

I’ve revisited the story of Free Melons countless times over the last few days, and when I did, I found new and different messages, layers of them. In fact, I’ve come to almost completely revise part of the message for today because of the truths revealed in this story.

The story began with a storyteller, a writer, who was burdened by the fact that, whenever he finished telling a story, there was always someone who piped up saying: I don't believe that.

And that’s really the underlying crux of the story: The storyteller prayed —or expressed a wish—that he really, really, really wanted to come up with a story that everyone would believe was true without question. In essence, he wanted to be a better storyteller.

So, he locked himself away and he wasn’t going to budge until he came up with a great story. But the more he tried to think of something that people could relate to and believe, the more he could hardly think at all. His brain was on overload.

In fact, he had such a powerful writer's block from the stress of it all, that he finally threw up his hands, divorced himself from his desk, and went to open the window to get some fresh air in the hopes that this might clear his head.

And what happened? He found himself distracted and a completely unrelated idea came into his head, completely out of the blue, even silly and perhaps a little mean. He thought of a trick to play on the children, and he made up a story about free melons, and soon the whole town seemed to go past his window to get one.

And the irony, of course, was that, in the end, he believed his own story (and, just maybe, the melons really were free. That’s certainly one interpretation and example of the power of words to shift reality, even to manifest melons for a whole town.)

But here’s the thing: whether or not the melons were actually free or became free isn’t the most striking lesson or truth.

The real truth is that when we ask, we receive.

We’ve heard that before.
“Ask and you shall receive” and “believing is receiving” shows up in sacred and secular texts the world over, not as dogma, but as an observation about how intention with action in the form of words sets something in motion.

Many have named that responsive presence “God,” or “Spirit,” or “the universe,” or “the interconnected web of existence” or the “cosmos” or even a “higher power.”

Whatever language we use to describe it, the message or underlying truth is the same:
Our thoughts and intentions, expressed in words, set something in motion—a web of connection that reaches beyond us, the cosmological All.

Think about it.

What did the storyteller want? Was it a free melon? No. It was to tell a story that everyone believed. And not only did he initiate and even actualize a lived story experience that was believable because it was true—if he took pause to reflect on it, but he might have recognized the even greater truth—the real answer to his question.

Were the melons free? Maybe.

But the more important question is: Was the "ask" answered? And the answer is Yes. The heart of his question, his greatest desire, was to know: How can I tell a tale that is unequivocally believable? And the answer was: First, you must believe it yourself.

Did the storyteller pause to hear the answer? Maybe.

But even if he didn't, we did.

And, we're fortunate that a storyteller heard it and passed it on to us.

This concept works the same way as fake it til you make it and other pithy affirmations to achieve a happier life, like “I am enough” or “This too shall pass” or other positive and true phrases that open the way to possibility and joy. This puts thought into action and effect. It’s a deliberate, actionable mind set.

But that’s only half of the equation, the asking.

The other half is the relationship between the asker and the great listening presence.

When we speak, when we wonder, when we desire, something hears us.

Something answers.

But the answers, the miracles, don’t always look like what we expect.

They don’t always arrive wrapped in thunder, or clarity, or certainty.

Sometimes they slip in sideways, quiet as a shadow, exactly where we are, even when we’re not paying attention.

Whether grounded in truth, intuition, or pure invention, words—even careless ones—can and do shape the world around us.

Words backed by belief—whether that belief is rooted in faith, fear, desire, or even deception—have the power to create shifts in reality. This is not just the magic of spoken words—which is powerful unto itself; this is the magic of belief. And that belief, in turn, wants or compels action—which, in turn, fortifies that self-same belief in a recursive concentration that literally causes shifts in reality through our perceptions of the world we live in.

My point is that with the magnificent and terrible power or words, it only makes sense to wield them carefully and with deliberation. To be deliberate in our thoughts, words, actions.

Consider, for a moment, ritualized dancing and chanting, such as the well-known rain dance. Communities gather, united by a shared belief that their collective action can bring forth rain—an outcome for the good of all. In these rituals, there is no room for doubt. The dancers, the chanters, and the entire community act as though the rain is already on its way. Their actions fortify their belief, creating a force far greater than any individual effort. They move together, creating a rhythm, a collective intention, a shared belief that shapes the world around them. This is a lived expression of respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

In the story of the melons, we see the same dynamic at work. It wasn’t just the man who spoke the words, nor was it only the people who heard and believed. It was the collective belief, the shared action that brought about change. To be fair, it may simply be that it came to pass that no one doubted the truth of the matter, so that lack of doubt also informs the power of belief. In other words, the scenario was so plausible that people knew that they knew that they knew; there was no need to even question the belief.

And this, my friends, is the magical power of words and belief: When we speak and believe, or rather believe and speak, we create reality. It doesn’t matter whether the words are rooted in truth, whether they were spoken with intention or carelessness, or whether they are true in the beginning. It’s not the power of belief behind the utterance that transforms the world—but the power of the utterance to give rise to belief, and in doing so, transform reality.

Think about it. We often hear cautionary tales about the power of words—"Be careful what you wish for," or "Be careful what you say," or "Tickalock." These sayings warn us that even careless words spoken off the cuff can bring unintended consequences. These old sayings are not just superstitions—they’re reminders of the innate potency of spoken thought.

And sadly, for most of us it's easier to "believe" that the worst will happen. Why is that? Have you ever caught yourself saying "Murphy's Law," that anything that can go wrong will go wrong?

On the flip side: From your lips to God's ears.

So, what if we understood...what if we understood this power as a tool and an invitation to use our words with care and purpose, to speak with intention, and to act with belief for the good of all?

To deepen our understanding, and to underscore that deliberate thinking, speaking, and action are critical to a happy, fulfilling life, let’s consider another story: The Bird and the Hunter.

A hunter, frustrated and empty-handed at the end of a long day, spots a small bird resting in its nest. As he seizes the bird, it begins to speak: “Let me go. I'm all bones and feathers. I won't make you a meal. Do that, and I'll give you three pieces of wisdom. If you follow them, you will prosper.” The hunter agrees, and the bird offers this advice:

Never believe any story that your common sense tells you cannot be true.
Once you've made a decision, don't immediately regret the decision you've made.
Never try to do the impossible.

The hunter scoffs—common knowledge, he thinks—but keeps his word and releases the bird. The bird then boasts of priceless jewels hidden in his claws, and the hunter, filled with regret, tries to recapture him—first with words, then by climbing a tree. The branch breaks; he falls. And the bird, chuckling, reminds him: “You believed an absurd tale. You regretted your decision. You tried to do the impossible.”

Power of Words and Belief:
The bird speaks words that carry wisdom, and the hunter’s belief (or disbelief) in those words sets the story in motion. Here, the words of the bird, imbued with belief or intention, shape reality.

Deliberate Thought (Action) vs. Reaction:
The hunter fails not because he didn't receive wisdom, but because he failed to apply it. This demonstrates the distinction between knowing something and living it—between casual thought and deliberate, intentional action.

Faith, Doubt, and Regret:
The hunter doubts, regrets, and acts impulsively—all counter to thoughtful intention. It’s a parable that illustrates how easily we stray from wisdom when emotion overrides mindfulness, when we fail to deliberate the stories before us that warrant an action toward change.

Practical Spirituality:
This tale allows us to witness common human pitfalls, encouraging us to practice what we preach, to live in the grace of wisdom.

This folktale reminds us through example that knowing good advice and living by it are different things. It encourages us to practice what we preach, to live in the grace of wisdom, to act with intention. It points to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part—and which we hold influence over.

Let there be a pause—a breath, a moment, a beat—for purposeful contemplation, a search for truth—causes, effects; assessment of needs and assets. This, too, is an act of faith, an act of thoughtful intention, a meditation. It reinforces our conviction, our belief.

It is an act of reassurance, of knowing that we are doing the best we can, with what we have, in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. And if we know that we have done all that we can—to do the best that we can with what we have in the moment—there is no room for doubt or regret. Guilt won't be our burden.

Believing is receiving—not because belief alone hands us what we want, but because belief fortifies our words, strengthens our resolve, and helps shape the very world we act upon. It is a partner to intention, not a substitute for it.

Thought and speech are already acts of creation. They carry inherent power—even without belief—and that power is exponentially fortified when belief and deliberate intention are consciously added.

Belief doesn’t give them life; it strengthens the life they already have. And when belief wavers, intention and practice can still fortify the power of our words to shape reality.

Words are spells. Thought is magic. Belief is fuel, and the intention is the fire that makes it burn bright.

So let us choose our words wisely. Let us bless our thoughts with love. Let us take action not just out of habit, but from deliberate intention and action. Each of us is invested with power.

Let us remember that when we come together—hands open, hearts lifted—we are capable of shaping new realities, of calling into being new ways of living and loving.

Let us not underestimate the magic of thoughtful intention. The power and real magic of our words.

The force is with you.

The thoughts and words are within you, to be managed and worked by you, guided by your care and intention.

Wield them wisely and well.

May it be so.

Song: My Way–Michael Casey

Discussion

Closing Words: Rev. Kathryn Adams

Extinguish the Chalice

Go now in peace, moved by the magic and knowing the magic, the power of your thoughts, your words, your deeds. Speak life. Speak love. Speak light.

Song Benediction - #1057 Go Lifted Up

Benediction/Closing Words: May our stories move us to action, uphold the rights and dignity of all people, and honor the living tapestry of life, spirit, and the creative chaos that binds us together.

There is a story for every time and purpose under heaven.

And in this, my soul delights.

Call to Service

Prelude: Michael

Welcome and Announcements

Chalice Lighting: (unison) by Christine Robinson—Is this set in stone? I have a chalice lighting but I don't want to disrupt your congregation's routine or expectations.

“We gather this hour as people of faith

With joys and sorrows, 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.”

Hymn: #327 (grey hymnal) first two verses—What song is this? Is it STLT#327, Joy, Thou Goddess?

Opening Words: Jan

Story for All Ages?

Acknowledgments of the Heart: Is this Joys and Concerns/Sorrows or something else? Jan

Meditation: Denise I'm not sure what this is. Can it be a responsive reading? Reflection on Joys and Concerns and an invitation to Offeratory, take out baskets

Offertory: Michael (pianist)

Sermon: “The Magic of Belief” Denise McCormack

Hymn: # My Way by Frank Sinatra?--just a thought

Discussion/Feedback: Everyone

Closing Words: Denise–& Benediction blend

Extinguishing the Chalice: Unison “We extinguish this flame,

but not the light of truth, the warmth of community or the fire

of commitment. These we carry in our hearts until we meet

again.”

Sung Benediction: #1057 (teal hymnal) – “Go Lifted Up”

“Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moonlight, starlight guide

your journey into peace and the brightness of day.”

For today’s service, believe it or not, I was at a roadblock—a dry spell—and although if you went to my website you’d see a dozen or more topics, I was at a loss as to what I would share with you. So, after a little searching, I found that this month’s theme, in affiliation with an organization called Soul Matters, is “Imagination.” Fancy that. And my wheels began to spin with a reflection on the magic of words—the magic act of putting thought into action through words as inspired by the imagination.

We began today with a story for all ages about “free melons” in the marketplace. At first glance, this seems like a simple tale about a man’s words, but it holds a much deeper truth. This story is about the power of words, the strength of belief, and the forces that are set into motion when we act on those beliefs—whether intentionally or not.

In the story, a man casually utters the words, “The melons are free!” We don’t know if he believed it himself, or if his words were meant as a distraction or a joke. But what matters is that others believed him. And with that belief, they acted. They gathered, they moved toward the melons, and in doing so, they created a reality that had never been true before. In their collective action, the melons became free.

And this raises an important question: Who is responsible for the melons being free? Was it the man who spoke the words? Was it the people who believed them? Or could it be that somewhere, an individual or family had quietly wished for something as simple as a treat or the satisfaction of hunger, and their longing—a thought, a wish—joined the momentum of the spoken words? Perhaps it was all of these things.

This story isn’t just about words or the people who speak them; it’s about the unseen forces that come into play when a belief takes root. Perhaps, in truth, the words grew stronger through the collective beliefs of the community, who believed so deeply and acted so resolutely that they manifested a new reality without even knowing it. Their collective conviction—or matter-of-fact acceptance without cause for doubt—turned those words into something more than just an utterance—they made them true.

What we see here is a powerful reminder of how words, once spoken (and an act themselves) can set forces into motion. Whether grounded in truth, intuition, or pure invention, words—even careless ones—can and do shape the world around us. And it is not just the person who speaks the words who holds this power, but the community, even the shapeless chaos, who listens and acts upon them.

Words backed by belief—whether that belief is rooted in faith, fear, desire, or even deception—have the power to create shifts in reality. This is not just the magic of spoken words—which is powerful unto itself; this is the magic of belief. And belief, in turn, wants or compels action—which, in turn, fortifies belief.

Consider, for a moment, ritualized dancing and chanting, such as the well-known rain dance. Communities gather, united by a shared belief that their collective action can bring forth rain—an outcome for the good of all. In these rituals, there is no room for doubt. The dancers, the chanters, and the entire community act as though the rain is already on its way. Their actions fortify their belief, creating a force far greater than any individual effort. They move together, creating a rhythm, a collective intention, a shared belief that shapes the world around them. This is a lived expression of respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

In the story of the melons, we see the same dynamic at work. It wasn’t just the man who spoke the words, nor was it only the people who heard and believed. It was the collective belief of the community, the shared action that brought about the change. The melons became free, not because the man willed it, but because the community acted as though it were true. And once they did, their action was enough to make it true. To be fair, it may simply be that it came to pass that no one doubted the truth of the matter, so that lack of doubt also informs the power of belief. In other words, the scenario was so plausible that people knew that they knew that they knew; there was no need to even question the belief.

And this, my friends, is the magical power of words and belief: When we speak and believe, or rather believe and speak, we create reality. It doesn’t matter whether the words are rooted in truth, whether they were spoken with intention or carelessness, or whether they are true in the beginning. It’s not the power of belief behind the utterance that transforms the world—but the power of the utterance to give rise to belief, and in doing so, transform reality.

Think about it. We often hear cautionary tales about the power of words—"Be careful what you wish for," or "Be careful what you say," or "Tickalock." These sayings warn us that even careless words spoken off the cuff can bring unintended consequences. These old sayings are not just superstitions—they’re reminders of the innate potency of spoken thought.

And sadly, for most of us it's easier to "believe" that the worst will happen. Why is that? Have you ever caught yourself saying "Murphy's Law," that anything that can go wrong will go wrong?

On the flip side: From your lips to God's ears.

So, what if we understood...what if we understood this power as a tool and an invitation to use our words with care and purpose, to speak with intention, and to act with belief for the good of all?

To deepen our understanding, let’s consider another story: The Bird and the Hunter.