How to practice unitarian universalism

Unitarian Universalist (UU) practices are a combination of Protestant Christian forms and content from a variety of religious traditions.

Religious services are usually held on Sundays and generally resemble Protestant services in outward forms. The service usually includes a sermon (by either a minister or lay leader), singing of hymns, a time of sharing “joys and concerns,” and prayer/meditation/silence. UU publishes its own hymnals and songbooks; most songs are original compositions, while others are derived from Christian, Native American, Buddhist or other traditions.

Life events such as child dedication, coming of age, marriage and death are marked with special ceremonies which vary in their content. Baptism is not generally practiced. Coming of age ceremonies often involve the young person developing his or own belief statement.

Holidays from various religions may be celebrated at a Unitarian Universalist church:

Though practices vary in our congregations and change over time, UUs celebrate many of the great religious holidays with enthusiasm. Whether we gather to celebrate Christmas, Passover, or the Hindu holiday Divali, we do so in a universal context, recognizing and honoring religious observances and festivals as innate and needful in all human cultures.

Communion (or Eucharist) is also not often found in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Replacing the traditional Christian communion of bread and wine are two original Unitarian Universalist rituals: Flower Communion and Water Communion, each of which is celebrated annually.

Flower Communion is usually held in the spring. Each member of the congregation is asked to bring a fresh flower to the service, which they place it in a large vase upon arriving. The flowers are consecrated by the minister during the service. Upon leaving the church, each person takes a flower other than the one they had brought.

Flower Communion was created by Norbert Capek (1870-1942), who founded the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia, and was first celebrated in 1923. The symbolic meaning of the ritual is generally understood as follows (though individuals are, of course, free to find their own meaning in it):

The significance of the flower communion is that as no two flowers are alike, so no two people are alike, yet each has a contribution to make. Together the different flowers form a beautiful bouquet. Our common bouquet would not be the same without the unique addition of each individual flower, and thus it is with our church community, it would not be the same without each and every one of us. Thus this service is a statement of our community. By exchanging flowers, we show our willingness to walk together in our Search for truth, disregarding all that might divide us. Each person takes home a flower brought by someone else – thus symbolizing our shared celebration in community. This communion of sharing is essential to a free people of a free religion.

Water Communion is not as central as Flower Communion, but still common; it was first celebrated in 1980. It is held in the fall and marks the reunion of a congregation that is often scattered over the summer. Throughout the year, members of the congregation collect small amounts of water from various places they have been, including their homes and far-off travel destinations. During the service, there is a time of sharing in which each person adds their small bit of water to a bowl and briefly describes where the water came from.

The resulting bowl of water represents the comingled lives of the congregation, and a small part of it is reserved for ceremonial purposes throughout the year. Another part is saved for next year’s Water Communion, symbolizing the connection of lives over the years.

Explore Beliefs, Practices, and Background of the Unitarian Universalist Church

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• M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University
• B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University

The Unitarian Universalists Association (UUA) encourages its members to search for truth in their own way, at their own pace.

Unitarian Universalism describes itself as one of the most liberal religions, embracing atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Christians, and members of all other faiths. Although Unitarian Universalist beliefs borrow from many faiths, the religion does not have a creed and avoids doctrinal requirements.

Unitarian Universalist Beliefs

Bible – Belief in the Bible is not required. “The Bible is a collection of profound insights from the men who wrote it but also reflects biases and cultural ideas from the times in which it was written and edited.”

Communion – Each UUA congregation decides on how it will express the community sharing of food and drink. Some do it as an informal coffee hour after services, while others use a formal ceremony to recognize Jesus Christ’s contributions.

Equality – The religion does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual preference, or national origin.

God – Some Unitarian Universalists believe in God; some do not. Belief in God is optional in this organization.

Heaven, Hell – Unitarian Universalism considers heaven and hell to be states of mind, created by individuals and expressed through their actions.

Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ was an outstanding human being, but divine only in the sense that all people possess a “divine spark,” according to UUA. The religion denies the Christian teaching that God required a sacrifice for the atonement of sin.

Prayer – Some members pray while others meditate. The religion sees the practice as spiritual or mental discipline.

Sin – While the UUA recognizes that human beings are capable of destructive behavior and that people are responsible for their actions, it rejects the belief that Christ died to redeem the human race from sin.

Unitarian Universalist Practices

Sacraments – Unitarian Universalist beliefs state that life itself is a sacrament, to be lived with justice and compassion. However, the religion recognizes that dedicating children, celebrating coming of age, joining in marriage, and commemorating the dead are important events and holds services for those occasions.

UUA Service – Held on Sunday morning and at various times during the week, services start with lighting of the flaming chalice, the Unitarian Universalism symbol of faith. Other parts of the service include vocal or instrumental music, prayer or meditation, and a sermon. Sermons may be about Unitarian Universalist beliefs, controversial social issues, or politics.

Unitarian Universalist Church Background

The UUA had its beginnings in Europe in 1569, when Transylvanian King John Sigismund issued an edict establishing religious freedom. Prominent founders have included Michael Servetus, Joseph Priestley, John Murray, and Hosea Ballou.

The Universalists organized in the United States in 1793, with the Unitarians following in 1825. The consolidation of the Universalist Church of America with the American Unitarian Association created the UUA in 1961.

The UUA includes more than 1,040 congregations worldwide, served by more than 1,700 ministers with more than 221,000 members in the United States and abroad. Other Unitarian Universalist organizations in Canada, Europe, international groups, as well as people who informally identify themselves as Unitarian Universalists, bring the worldwide total to 800,000. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the Unitarian Universalist Church calls itself the fastest growing liberal religion in North America.

Unitarian Universalist churches also can be found in Canada, Romania, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, India, and several countries in Africa.

Member congregations within the UUA govern themselves independently. The greater UUA is governed by an elected Board of Trustees, chaired by an elected Moderator. Administration duties are carried out by an elected president, three vice presidents, and five department directors. In North America, the UUA is organized into 19 districts, served by a District Executive.

Spiritual, But Not Religious, My Hindquarters!

Boston, we have a problem. We UU’s are part of a religious movement that can’t seem to embrace religious ritual.

Yeah, we execute events and programs like Coming of Age, and Bridging, and the occasional holiday service, but when it comes to spiritual practice, we have some serious deficiencies. Don’t believe me? Well, here’s the proof:

Last December, I organized and presented a webinar for religious professionals called “Sunday Morning Best Practices.” In preparation for this webinar, I interviewed eight demographically different congregations from around the country, from Alaska to NY to Florida and places in between, to identify the hallmark attributes of thriving congregational youth programs. Through these interviews, I was able to pinpoint nine positive characteristics of healthy youth programs in a UU context. Aspects like topical flexibility, a commitment to faith in action work, and a youth program woven into the larger ministry of the church were identified and reported in the webinar.

But, sadly—and it broke my heart of hearts, there was also one glaring absence. None of the eight congregations regularly engaged in spiritual practice when their youth gathered. Not one.

Let me be clear, when I refer to spiritual practice, I am referring to exercises which help us connect with the holy, go deeper, and / or provide us with a reflective experience that transcends the ordinary. Meditation, prayer, mantra, yoga, lectio divina, examen, etc. are examples of practices of this sort.

And you may be wondering, “So what? Why should we commit to endeavors of this sort?”

For starters, religious ritual and related spiritual practices, are the only offerings that our religious institutions have to contribute that the wider world cannot. Though worthy and worthwhile, philos-political discussions and forays into social action, which are each enterprises that are heavily emphasized in our congregations, are both activities that can be regularly and easily accessed through secular channels.

Secondly, when youth exit our religious education programs, will they be equipped with the much needed skills and tools to navigate a complex, and arduous life? Where will their spirit go when they lose a loved one? How will they cope with the losses that life inevitably serves up? What internal space(s) will they access when they experience a transcendent moment? With what methods will they express deep remorse, or gratitude?

Ever wondered why so many of our youth don’t return to Unitarian Universalism after bridging? Why we are in constant triage mode in regards to our young adults? I believe firmly that it is because they leave our churches lacking these most critical tools, and also without the religious identity that they indelibly impart upon the user. Spiritual practice is an expression of salvation in this life, and it calls us home.

And let’s be clear. Our youth groups are exceptional microcosms of the larger congregation within which they reside. If the congregation is squeamish about spiritual practice, or religious language, or (insert characteristic here), you better believe the youth group will very accurately personify those very qualities. This holds true for positive attributes, too, like commitment to justice, an emphasis on inclusivity, and upholding the search for meaning.

So where do we go from here? I recommend that we begin a conversation about how we might intentionally incorporate and embrace spiritual practice in each and every space that UU’s gather. Whether it is a Sunday service, or a meeting of the Board, there should be a purposeful element that reminds us, as Parker Palmer asserts, “That spirit is at the center.” These are religious undertakings, and we are called to be our highest, best selves throughout their span.

In my work and to this end, I have put together a multigenerational event this September 23-25 th in Portland, Oregon, called the Youth Ministry Revival with the theme of “Engaging Spiritual Practice.” About 80-100 youth and adult teams from congregations around the country will explore how we may more deeply connect to the divine—internally, interpersonally, and community wide, through the art of practice. These teams will be charged with bringing back new tools, skills, and learning, not just to their youth groups, but to their entire congregation. Perhaps you will join us?

Eric Bliss is the Youth Ministry Specialist and Congregational Life Staff of the Pacific Western Region of the UUA. Aside from his Youth Ministry Specialist duties, Eric is currently a member of the Fahs Collaborative Guiding Team and is on the UUA Youth Ministry Roundtable. He is the loving father of two beautiful boys, named Hollis and Ozwell, is an avid soccer fan and coach, loves skateboarding, playing guitar, and exploring the outdoors.

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What does it mean to practice our principles during a pandemic? What are we doing to guarantee free and fair elections in states targeted by voter suppression?

Learn how UU the Vote rising to the challenges of COVID-19, while creating a movement towards UU values in the 2020 elections.

How We Thrive | UU the Vote

Unitarian Universalist Association

This is the mandate of our faith. From our history of anti-slavery abolition to our actions to abolish ICE to the passage at our 2020 General Assembly in June of two Actions of Immediate Witness that explicitly urge UUs to join the movement to defund the police, the call to us is clear: to side with the oppressed, to oppose forces of oppression, to cut through the false narrative of ‘good’ protestors and ‘bad’ protestors and stop the criminalization of resistance.

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We Must Resist Fascist Federal Attacks on our Cities

Unitarian Universalist Association

All are welcome to join a service of remembrance for former UUA president, Rev. O. Eugene Pickett with advance registration at:

The service will be held today, Wednesday, August 5 at 4pm EDT/3pm CDT/1pm PDT. Advance registration is requested so the family can know who participated. They also ask that you join 10 minutes early in case their are any technical issues.

Rev. Pickett shared many gifts with the UUA and the larger faith movement during his life. He will be deeply missed.

US02WEB.ZOOM.US

Welcome! You are invited to join this special worship service to honor the life and ministry of Rev. Dr. O. Eugene (Gene) Pickett. After RSVPing, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the service.

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

I am honored to be part of a virtual service of remembrance for the Rev. O. Eugene Pickett, who served as UUA president from 1979–1985. The service is TODAY, Wednesday, August 5, at 4 PM EDT.

The family welcomes you to join, but asks that you please register in advance at this link so they can know who attended: Plan to join at least 10 minutes early in case there are technical issues to work out. May our collective presence reflect our love and care in this time of grief and remembrance.

Unitarian Universalist Association

“Border Patrol agents on Friday night raided a humanitarian aid station run by immigrant rights advocacy group No More Deaths, detaining 30 people in what activists described as a “massive show of force” aimed at intimidating the group.”

Some say very, very thoughtfully!

In the early part of the 20th century, Unitarian Universalist churches understood themselves to worship in the purest definition of the word – to worship…those things of worth. What that means is that most Protestant and non-denominational churches have God, Jesus and the Bible at the center of their worship. While Unitarian Universalism acknowledges the importance of those, they are not usually found at the center of our worship. Instead,

we focus on naming, proclaiming, reflecting and acting upon those things which give our lives meaning and purpose.

This means when Unitarian Universalists get together for worship, we acknowledge that there will be a diversity of opinions, beliefs and spiritual practices among us. Some may consider themselves Jewish or Christian or Buddhist or Pagan/Earth-based Unitarian Universalists. Others claim to be atheists or agnostics or free-thinkers; humanists or life-long Unitarian Universalists. Some among you will love liturgy and ritual found in the Sunday morning service; others would prefer a more Quaker-style meeting of silence. Some members love the sound of classical music; others are more drawn to rock, jazz, blues, gospel, rap or show tunes! All of these different styles of belief and worship point to something beyond our individual preferences – that at the core of our existence as human beings is a sense of “transcending mystery and wonder.” Our worship service seeks to illuminate that transcending mystery and wonder each week, through scripture or poetry; music, the spoken word; by lighting candles and acknowledging milestones; by ancient texts and modern readings.

Beginning in 2016, the church began to take advantage of a denominationally-based program of monthly themes suitable for worship, religious exploration and small group discussions. They are called Soul Matters. Each month we explore the theme through our sermons, liturgy, readings and/or music. The themes for the 2019 – 2020 church year are listed below, and they include reflection questions.

2019

September – Faith – In what do I trust?

October – Belonging – Does who I am end at the barrier of my skin?

November – Attention – What is my life trying to say to me?

December – Awe – What is sacred?

2020

January – Soul – What is my path?

February – Resilience – Do I have to make it through on my own?

March – Awakening – Is this all there is?

April – Surrender – How do I escape my ego and small self?

May – Threshold – Where do I find the courage to step into the new?

June – Play – just what you think it is!

Welcome to this journey of discovery! We hope that if you are used to a more “traditional” worship service, that you’ll find this Unitarian Universalist worship experience a refreshing surprise. We’ll see you in church!

Check out this step-by-step gallery on how to say a Unitarian Universalist prayer.

How to Say a Unitarian Universalist Prayer

Are you a Unitarian Universalist who wants to pray? Or do you know some Unitarian Universalists and find yourself curious about their religious practices? If so, check out this gallery on how to say a Unitarian Universalist prayer.

Light a Chalice

While a chalice in the Unitarian Universalist tradition is a candle in some kind of cup or holder, it doesn’t need to be fancy. Simply place a little tea candle in a candle holder and light it. Blow out the match, and look at the flame for a few seconds to bring yourself to the present moment. This step is optional, but it’s highly recommended.

Close Your Eyes

Some people find it easier to calm themselves and concentrate on what’s being said, without distractions, by closing their eyes.

Warning: If you pray or meditate with your eyes closed, make sure the candle is safe from dripping, tipping over, or combustible materials such as paper or fluttering curtains.

Center Yourself

Take a few moments to become centered within yourself. Imagine your soul or life spirit being active in all parts of your body, and then slowly calming and coming together at your heart. Some Unitarian Universalists may hit a gong and raise their hands. As the sound slowly drifts, they lower their hands. Consider doing this especially if you have trouble feeling centered.

Say a Prayer

There are many possibilities; here’s a common example:

We light this chalice,
for the light of truth,
the warmth of love,
and the fire of commitment.
We light this symbol of our faith,
as we gather together.

Personalize the Prayer

Add whatever wishes or concerns are on your heart and mind, either silently or aloud, for example, “I send my positive thoughts to Uncle Joe during his surgery and ask for a quick and full recovery.”

If you don’t know who you’re praying to, don’t fret, you’re in the same boat as many Unitarian Universalists. If the prayer is heard and answered by an external power, that is good. If the prayer just makes you feel more peaceful and connected to the life spirit of the universe, that’s good too.

Extinguish the Chalice

Unitarian Universalists often will not blow out a ritual candle, but rather will use a candle-extinguisher — a bell-shaped, inverse metal cup that hangs down from a handle to cover the flame. But nobody’s going to “get” you if you blow it out with a puff of breath! If someone recited the prayer with you, you may choose to blow out the candle together. Enjoy watching the drifting smoke.

Other Tips

Other Tips

If more than one person prays, take turns lighting and extinguishing the candle.

Because Unitarian Universalism is a religion without proscribed rituals and beliefs, you may use prayers from any religion that are meaningful to you. You will see a wide variety of prayers, some borrowed from other faith traditions, used respectfully in Unitarian Universalist congregations.

You may pray at any time simply by saying positive wishes for yourself or others, either in your mind or aloud. Direct your prayers to whatever God you believe in, or to a beloved symbol from a world religion, such as Jesus, Gaia, or a saint.

Unitarian Universalism

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Creating Peace with Self and Others

Compassionate Consciousness for Everyday Living: Holistic Tools for Peace Within and With Others

Compassionate Consciousness for Everyday Living: Tools for Peace Within and With Others

with Jody Whelden,

Sat., April 12, 2014,10AM-12PM,

Prairie Unitarian Society, Madison, WI, NO FEE

WE ALL WANT MORE BALANCE AND PEACE IN OUR LIVES with the mundane and the mysterious. How do I find a balance between the two? How can I release stress when I feel overwhelmed? How do I get more balance at work, where my boss, or, a co-worker drives me crazy?

This workshop is about centering the body and having the heart open for more effective interactions. We will talk about and practice compassionate consciousness in situations that are internal or, external, with others. Included are practices for the heart, physical balancing, journaling and sharing with others. The structure will be responsive to your needs.

Each of us is a sliver of light, shining into the world. I want to share my light and contribute to you expanding and sharing yours. Call me with questions and registration at 608-286-5287, or, write [email protected]

ABOUT ME: I have experience as a Board Certified Chaplain(BCC), a Unitarian Universalist minister, a psychotherapist, a high school counselor, and a parish minister. I have studied and practice Transcendental Meditation and Ki-Akido. I am a certified consultant in teaching Personal Thinking Patterns™ and Parent Effectiveness Training™ . I have a blog at Vida Gorman and I conduct workshops, HEART AND SOUL LIVING: The Journey Home to Self. The next one for women is in Madison, April 4 & 5th. —

Personally, I love Oscar Wilde, Shirley Chisholm, Gandhi and The Celestine Prophecy. I am inspired by the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, Rumi, and Lao-tzu’s “Tao Te-Ching”. I love Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, country/bluegrass music, and Beethoven’s five piano concerti. James Fowler gave me my greatest lesson on non-violence and the transgender community inspires me. Rev. Max Gaebler taught me about love and intelligence combined. Coco Chanel and Mary Cassatt instructed me in being a strong, inventive woman. My current favorite movie is “A Good Woman” with Helen Hunt. My mother taught me how to be a fighter. My father taught me about unconditional love.

“Nurture your spirit; help heal the world.”

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition that was formed from the consolidation of two religions: Unitarianism and Universalism. The Universalist Church of America was founded in 1793 and the American Unitarian Association, in 1825. After consolidating in 1961, these faiths became the new religion of Unitarian Universalism through the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith speaks to the courageous UU history and how this movement laid the foundation for our strong voice for social justice and liberal religion, both past and present.

“We believe in the evolution—not only evolution of life forms, but in evolution of thought and of moral and ethical understanding. So the truth that I embrace today may not be the truth I embrace tomorrow. Revelation is not static, but is ever unfolding. More and more will be revealed.”
–Rev. Marilyn Sewell

An Eyes-Wide-Open Faith!

Unitarian Universalists are people of all ages, many backgrounds and many beliefs. We are brave, curious and compassionate thinkers and doers. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world. Hear now our story as shared by the UUA.

A Faith Without Certainty

Liberal theology is not for the faint of heart. It points us in a general direction without telling us the specific destination. It refuses to make our commitments for us, but holds us accountable to the commitments we make. The liberal religious tradition is an invitation, not a mandate. It invites us to live with ambiguity without giving in to facile compromise; to engage in dialogue without trying to control the conversation; to be open to change without accepting change too casually; to take commitment seriously but not blindly; to be engaged in the culture without succumbing to the culture’s values. Liberal religion calls us to strength without rigidity, conviction without ideology, openness without laziness. It is an eyes-wide-open faith, a faith without certainty. Paul Razor,
“Faith Without Certainty – Liberal Theology in the 21 st Century

Different Beliefs, Shared Values

Guided by seven Principles and six Sources, we celebrate an expansive spirituality that brings together people of different beliefs but shared values. “Revelation. is ever unfolding” (Rev. Marilyn Sewell). All are welcome at the table of awe, question and illumination—gateways to wisdom and transformation, personally and for our world.

“Give LIGHT and people will find the way.”
–Ella Baker. We light UUFP’s historical chalice for every worship service and Sanctuary gathering.

Our Seven Principles

Member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association join around a shared commitment to “our Seven Principles”. These principles guide us as both a fellowship, and as individuals.

​We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The lamps are different,
but the Light is the same. -Rumi

Our Six Sources

As Unitarian Universalists, our living tradition draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
• Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

ABOUT OUR FELLOWSHIP

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula was established in 1958 and has been a force for liberal religion on the Peninsula ever since. Relying upon reason and compassion as our guide, we seek to grow in understanding of ourselves and our world, while respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the interdependent web of all existence.

Liberal Quakerism and Unitarian Universalism are certainly comfortable fellow-travelers. Today I had an opportunity to compare them in a structured way. The Unitarian Universalist Association (where I work) has a newcomers bulletin board, where visitors can post questions and have them answered by staff. Today this came into my email (edited, of course, for privacy):

> Kenneth,
>
> Would you be willing to reply to this question? The response will be
> posted on the Newcomer’s Bulletin Board at
> which I maintain. If you
> don’t want to respond, that’s fine. Just write back to me with either
> your response or a note with any suggestions you may have. Thanks!
>
> ‑Erika

> Subject: Newcomer BB Post: how do UUs differ from liberal Quakers?
>
> name: Bess
>
> citystate: NSW (Australia)
>
> questionself: How do UU differ from liberal Quakers?
>

And here’s my reply (which I don’t make any assumptions will be used as a public answer–it seems a bit Quaker-centric, an answer to “how do liberal Quakers differ from UUs):

You’re in luck! There happens to be a liberal Quaker on staff, albeit an American. Quakers in Australia, of course, may answer differently, as will the majority of Friends in the world who are not “liberal” Quakers but rather evangelical or orthodox.

I’ll base my answer on the Principles and Sources used by the Unitarian Universalist Association, with a UU statement followed by an RSF (Religious Society of Friends) commentary.

UU “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote“
RSF Quaker meetings exist as part of the Religious Society, rather than the Society being a product of a voluntary association. There is no creed nor is there a unified statement that meetings have negotiated and agreed to affirm and promote.

UU “The inherent worth and dignity of every person“
RSF Liberal Quakers say “there is that of God in every person.”

UU “Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations“
RSF Quakers would agree.

UU “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations“
RSF Again, Quakers would tend to agree, but the spectrum of acceptable belief in Quakerism includes many more Christians and theists and far fewer atheists.

UU “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning“
RSF Integrity is a core Quaker value, which affirms the need for individual searching, but this is understood in tension with a tradition of capital‑T Truth as discerned by the community of Friends.

UU “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large“
RSF Quakers value the right of conscience (for example, in advocating for the right to conscientious objection to military service or to paying taxes for military purposes) but do not advocate the use of a democratic voting process within the meeting. One of the distinctive Quaker practices is decision-making based upon the sense of the meeting, which is an attempt to discern God’s will for the meeting. While sense of the meeting should include everyone, it does not depend upon unanimity. It is certainly not determined by voting.

UU “The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all“
RSF Quakers heartily concur.

UU “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part“
RSF Liberal Quakers have over the last decade or two begun to emphasize environmental concerns as a corporate and individual witness.

UU “The living tradition which we share draws from many sources“
RSF The Quaker tradition has been influenced by several outside movements, notably the Wesleyan revival, modernism, humanism, the antiwar and social justice movements, and the New Age, but does not intentionally and corporately draw from “many sources.”

UU “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life“
RSF Quaker theology and practice is built upon faith in direct, unmediated experience of the divine.

UU “Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love“
RSF Liberal Friends are quite similar both in drawing inspiration from prophetic individuals and in tending to worship our ancestors.

UU “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life“
RSF Many, if not most, liberal Quakers draw inspiration from the world’s religions, but this is a recent addition to the historic focus on a Quaker understanding of Christianity.

UU “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves“
RSF Quakers would agree.

UU “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit“
RSF There are and have been many Quaker scientists who have not seen any conflict between spirituality and “reason and the results of science.” Even when not Christians, liberal Friends are much less likely than UUs to be atheists.

UU “Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature“
RSF While paganism has influenced some individuals and plays a part in their spiritual life and practice, it is not called upon as a source for corporate Quaker life.

There is also a significant difference in the understanding and practice of ministry, which isn’t revealed in the Principles and Sources:

UU The majority of UU churches and fellowships employ a minister or ministers who lead the worship service and deliver a sermon. Even lay-led congregations follow an order of service that includes rituals like a chalice lighting, readings, congregational singing, and a prepared message or sermon. UU ministers, as described elsewhere on this website, undergo academic preparation resulting in an M.Div. degree, professional training, an internship, and a denominational process leading to ministerial fellowship. UU ministers are ordained by a congregation.

RSF Liberal Quakers worship on the basis of shared waiting for divine guidance. Anyone present may feel a leading to share a short message, a prayer, or a song. There is no human leadership of the worship service. Even in meetings that recognize the ministry of individual Friends, there is no ordination and no requirement (among liberal Friends) for academic qualification.

The Auburn Unitarian Universalist Society on North Seward Avenue.

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Inspiration reminds us of what matters most in life, and it is central to Unitarian Universalist faith and practice. Both as individuals and as communities, it gives us an opportunity to go deeper with the higher questions of meaning, purpose and possibility. Worship can lead us to that inspiration, but it is a word I struggle with personally. When it means love and adoration and devotion I am perfectly comfortable with that, but when it means reverence for god, that’s when I personally am uncomfortable.

Worshiping god denotes looking for something outside ourselves. It’s not that I don’t believe in god — I don’t believe in the manufactured god of religion, but I certainly believe in the god/collectiveness/holiness of all. I believe that god is in all of us, and not something to be seen as being separated from.

That is my personal belief, and I am supported within the Unitarian Universalist Society of Auburn and the larger community of the Unitarian Universalist Association in that belief. These organizations are supportive of those beliefs, as well as many others, including your beliefs as well.

Our faith tradition is diverse and inclusive. We grew from the union of two radical Christian groups: the Universalists, who organized in 1793, and the Unitarians, who organized in 1825. They met at a convention in Syracuse in 1961 and together became the Unitarian Universalist Association. Across the globe, our legacy reaches back centuries to liberal pioneers in England, Poland and Transylvania.

The Auburn Unitarian Universalist Society at 607 N. Seward Ave. is a safe haven for those in our society who want to express themselves without being categorized or labeled in any particular way. We acknowledge the beliefs of the individual while maintaining a respect for each other and the strength of our community.

It is easy to say these things, and maybe even easy to believe them, but to practice and embody these beliefs is something that requires work. It can be an intellectual exercise, but in the end, it is about the heart. We can believe things and yet be very separated if we don’t believe in the heart of our community. We have those in our congregation who are there for intellectual stimulation, and there are those who come for spiritual renewal and support. But from my perspective, if you are not there to support the community, you came to the wrong place.

We come to be inspired by others, to learn from them, and yes, to worship their pathways. This is not always easy, but if you sit and truly listen to something from the heart of someone else, we can feel inspired. We don’t always agree, but we do always try to allow people to speak their truth, and try to gain something from the exchange. Unitarian Universalists don’t have a stock of answers; more likely, we have a stock of questions that we can explore together to seek inspiration.

What we really have is community. A small but nourishing group of people who are open to new and different ideas, different paths and different perspectives. Our motto is, “We have room for everyone’s beliefs, including yours.” It’s an unconditional and supportive environment with only one exception: You have to bring your own ideas and beliefs.

So, what does this mean to you? It means that you can come with your own beliefs and sit with a UU Christian to discuss spirituality. It means you can share a meal with a UU pagan and enjoy the benefits of vegan food, and it means that you can join a social justice committee or event with a UU atheist or a UU Hindu. In all cases, you can be part of a group of caring individuals who are engaged in a community that strives to be a model for how we wish our greater society would work and function. If we start here, perhaps we can inspire an effect on the whole of our society.

Due to Coronavirus concerns, all on-site church activities are canceled until further notice.

Click the button below for alternative digital events and how to stay in touch with your church community…

Singing Meditation

Ends May 28th then resumes again on August 20th

Meets every Tuesday at 9:30 am in the Sanctuary

Come join us in the Sanctuary for a synergistic interfaith spiritual practice of many forms of singing, chanting, and group observation of silence. The goal is to help each participant reach a place within themselves where they can connect with the Divine, their Inner Core, the Spirit of Life; wherever they find Peace. Led by Angel de Armendi, Music Director.

Mindfulness & Meditation

Meets every Sunday 12:30-1:30 pm in Room C.

Does not meet on Potluck Sundays.

Each Mindfulness & Meditation group meeting combines meditation (guided or silent), a mindfulness presentation, and a group discussion. We are welcoming of wisdom from secular sources and religious tradition alike. For more information contact Rod Oldenburg or the UUCT office.

Sunday Services: 11:00 a.m.

The Practice of Covenant

Workshop with Connie Goodbread,

Congregational Life Staff, Southern Region UUA

How we do what we do makes all the difference.

Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal not a creedal faith. The way we treat each other and the world matters. Writing a Covenant is the easy part. It is the practice of Covenant that is the work of a life time. If our mission is to amplify the transcendent values of Unitarian Universalism – hope, love, justice, courage and joy, then the practice of Covenant is the way in which we do that. In this workshop, we will go through a process of writing a Covenant. We will identify ways in which that covenant could be broken and we will practice bringing ourselves first and then others back into Covenant. We will talk about how to use this in our congregations and our lives.

November 18, 2017 9:30am – 4:30pm

Please Join Us at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland

3140 Troy Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33803

A donation of $25 is requested. Lunch and a light breakfast will be provided. Childcare is also available with advanced notice. Please contact us by phone or email with any questions, and register and mail payment to UUCL (Attn: Melissa Marshall) by November 7th if possible.

by Barry Boyce | December 1, 2006

UU Buddhists, who combine Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism, “may be the largest convert Buddhist grouping in the country right now,” says James Ford, a Zen priest and Unitarian Universalist minister. As senior minister of the First Unitarian Society in Newton, Massachusetts, and a leading teacher at Boundless Way Zen, a regional consortium of Zen groups, Ford exemplifies the not-one, not-two spirit of UU Buddhism. Buddhism can offer Unitarian Universalists profound contemplative experience, and Unitarian Universalism can offer American Buddhists a traditional American-style congregation.

Describing UU Buddhism strains the vocabulary usually associated with religious groups. It is not a sect or branch of either Buddhism or Unitarian Universalism per se. It has no hierarchy and no rules and creeds. The defining statement on the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship website is open-ended: “Should a person feel affinity with both Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism, they may consider themselves a Unitarian Universalist Buddhist.”

According to Sam Trumbore, president of the UUBF, the fellowship is “a point of connection and conversation between Unitarian Universalists and the wider Buddhist universe.” It also provides support for “those who are both Unitarian Universalist and Buddhist in affiliation or affection,” which includes more than 125 practice groups in thirty-four states and Canada who list themselves with the UUBF. (Ford thinks there may be almost as many groups who have not chosen to list themselves.) It publishes a newsletter, UU Sangha, made up largely of talks on Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism (all available online), that taken together form a primer on what this tradition is all about. But according to Trumbore, the fellowship has no dominant agenda for itself or its members. The purpose of the UUBF, he says, is “to discover the purpose of the UUBF.” It presents workshops every year at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly to inform members of the possibility of having a Buddhist practice. One hundred and thirty people gathered at the first UUBF convocation in 2005, and more are expected to come to the next one in April 2007 at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York.

Both the Unitarian and the Universalist churches, which merged in 1961, have long histories in the United States. Many influential early Americans belonged to these denominations, which emphasized a humanist, rationalist perspective on spirituality that was very much in keeping with the early American experiment in self-government. Their ministers and theologians espoused the most liberal form of Protestantism. In the nineteenth century, the transcendentalists, including most prominently Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, influenced this tradition in the direction of a pluralism that embraced many possible paths, including Buddhism. According to Ford, UU has long been a church with “one foot in Christianity and one foot outside, and the trend lately has been toward the outside foot.” In UU World magazine, one UU member summed up the faith by saying “Unitarian Universalists believe that all life is sacred, all existence is interconnected, and that justice and compassion must be the foundation of our thoughts and deeds.” Another said, “Rather than choose your path for you, we provide a safe place for you to discover and pursue your own path.”

UU Buddhism encompasses a broad range of people, from those who simply allow Buddhist ideas to influence their thinking to those who call themselves Buddhists. Based on recent surveys, James Ford believes that if you apply the broadest possible definition, there may be some fifty thousand people influenced by UU Buddhism, about ten thousand of whom “have a regular daily practice or something close to it.” Trumbore says that all the main streams of Buddhism are represented in the UU population: “We have Zen practitioners, Tibetan Buddhists, Pure Land, Vipassana practitioners, Thich Nhat Hanh students, and a variety of others.”

People who have already started a Buddhist practice are often attracted to a UU congregation because it offers them a place to practice and a spiritual home that is not radically different from their Christian upbringing. It can also provide a religious education for their children that few Buddhist denominations in America offer. Melissa Blacker, a Zen practitioner who had just moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, with her husband and young daughter in the early 1990s, was “looking for a family-oriented church that didn’t limit us in terms of what we believed or worshiped or practiced.” The senior minister at a UU church they tried out had a meditation practice, and in the first sermon “she quoted an old Zen koan and T.S. Eliot, and we thought, ‘Wow, this is different kind of place!’”

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Blacker went on to become a Zen priest and a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but she maintains her connection to the Unitarian Universalist congregation. When she first came to the Worcester church, she says, “people asked us what we did spiritually, and when we told them we practiced Zen, they asked us to do some workshops, teach people how to meditate, and teach something about Zen. We now have one Zen group that meets once a week that includes members from the congregation and another that meets in my home that doesn’t tend to attract people from the congregation.”

According to Ford and Trumbore, UU Buddhist practice groups generally meet for an hour or so once a week. During that time, they practice together and may also hear a talk, have a discussion, and socialize. The dominant form of the practice tends to be influenced by whoever has started the group, and some congregations even have two groups with differing orientations. Ford says the intensity of people’s practice varies considerably: some practice occasionally, others daily, and still others regularly go on retreats. At the gatherings themselves, there usually is not much ritual and form. Trumbore appreciates that. What he values most from Buddhism, he says, is “using meditation practice effectively to wake up. I’m not interested in chants, initiations, and other forms of ritual — the cultural trappings. I want the pure practice that awakens.”

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About Barry Boyce

Barry Boyce is a professional writer and editor who was longtime senior editor at the Shambhala Sun. He is editor of, and a contributor in, The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life (2011). He is also the co-author of The Rules of Victory: How to Transform Chaos and Conflict—Strategies from the Art of War (2008).

SUNDAY SERVICE: 10AM VIDEO

An instinct toward spirituality appears to be deeply ingrained in humans. People can’t help but ask big questions. Spirituality can mean different things to different people, of course. For some, it’s primarily about participation in Sunday services. For others, though, getting in touch with their spiritual selves is more easily done through private prayer, yoga, meditation, quiet reflection, time in nature, or meaningful conversation with others.

At QUUF, we aspire to offer as many venues for spiritual development as possible. This explains why in addition to Sunday services we offer meditation groups, covenant groups, affinity groups, choirs, and A-HA (Agnostics, Humanists and Atheists) discussion potlucks.

You’ll also find many spiritual offerings in the courses offered through our Adult Learning Programs (ALPs). Registration is currently taking place. Click here for a full listing of classes.

Although no causal link has been established, those who put energy into growing spirituality been linked to having increased compassion, strengthened relationships, and improved self-esteem. All of these things are good for us – both as individuals and a society.

There are also many personal reasons to grow spiritually, including:
• Establishing a sense of purpose and meaning for your life;
• Creating peace of mind;
• Transcending old ways to forms of thinking and living;
• Gaining appreciation for the beauty of life;
• Finding the motivation to keep going through challenging times;
• Learning about yourself.

Growing your spirituality is something you can start working on any time you find the need. By putting time and energy into your inner life, you will begin to connect intrinsically with the person you want to be the kind of life you want to live. If there’s anything I can do to help you on your way, just let me know.

One Response to “ How to Grow Spiritually ”

With this message about Spirituality you have made me realize that my writing has been a spiritual practice all along. That clears up a lot of confusion for me. Thank you so much for that.

Comments are closed.

Our Next Service

Sometimes life can feel pretty overwhelming with all that is happening in the world. How do we find our way? What is right action for us? What if the answer were as simple as choosing to walk in beauty in each moment? Join Interfaith Minister and QUUF member Katy Taylor to unpack what it means to walk in beauty and to explore how to make it real in our daily lives.

Click here at 10 am Sunday to go to our YouTube channel or anytime thereafter.

BBC: Building the Beloved Community

The BBC centers its work around supporting and practicing the 8th Principle, a proposed addition to the 7 Principles that Unitarian Universalists currently covenant to uphold.

The 8th Principle

“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying towards spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Our Vision

The BBC team transforms the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis into a welcoming community for all, valuing each person for who they are and inviting each to bring their gifts of spirituality, love, and healing. We especially recognize those who are part of one or more oppressed groups and welcome their wisdom and experiences in accomplishing our vision.

Our Mission

1. Embracing the 8th Principle, we seek spiritual liberation and justice by dismantling racism and other oppressions in ourselves, our UU institutions, and the broader community to which we belong.
2. We will challenge UUCA members to go deeply within themselves to examine past beliefs and perceptions so each can learn about and understand the many forms of oppression in our society. The BBC will provide the training and tools to spread transformation throughout the entire congregation: teaching our white congregants to be trustworthy allies by offering opportunities to rethink U.S. history, examine white supremacist culture, and engage in discussions about racism and intersectionality.
3. We will ensure that equity prevails in UUCA organizations and act as a resource for our leaders.
4. We are committed to building active and accountable relationships that center People of Color in all of our anti-racism work.

Educational Opportunities for All

The BBC 8th Principle Practice Series

This is an ongoing series of middle hour sessions that provide opportunities for members of our congregation to practice and live UUCA’s resolution in support of the 8th Principle. Our goal is for every member of UUCA to complete the series. We currently offer:

1. Color Blindness and the Good/Bad Binary,
2. Historical Foundations of White Supremacy
3. Unconscious Bias and White Privilege
4. Race and Ethnicity
5. What is Racism?
6. Understanding the Cycle of Oppression
7. Microaggressions
8. Tools for being a White Ally

See In the Know (the UUCA weekly email newsletter) for the latest schedule.

The BBC 8th Principle Film Series

(On hold)

It is a public event – usually the 2nd Fridays of the month on alternate months. Please bring your family, neighbors and allies who are interested in learning more about the systems of oppression and how we can dismantle them. Contact: Linda Mundy

“What Does It Means to Be White” Book Study

(On hold)

Sponsored by the BBC just began for the fourth time and meets every 1st and 4th Monday 7-9 pm until the book is covered. If you have been reluctant or had little opportunity to talk about race, this is your chance to break through the barrier. Contact: Thornell Jones

Unconscious Bias and Race Monthly Book Stud y

(On hold)

Also sponsored by the BBC is another opportunity for in-depth study of unconscious bias and how US history has helped us develop it. The group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month from 7-9:00 p.m. Contact: Thornell Jones

Partnerships

Members of the BBC partner with the following organizations by sponsoring their meeting spaces at UUCA and participating in their work against racism:

BBC Members (as of 4/2020)

Ellen Berkov, Candy Clark, Caroline Hadley, Thornell Jones, Heather Millar, Linda Mundy, Darrel Nash, Olga Pabón, Alexina Robertson, Gwen Schindler, Graham Smith, and Candice Wanhatalo.

How to Join the BBC

Members of BBC commit to attending monthly Sunday after-hour meetings, volunteering at the BBC 8th Principle Practice Series and Film Series, facilitating our 8th Principle Middle Hour education series, and examining our own unconscious biases, racism, and prejudices through interpersonal book study, discussion and caucusing. This work takes an average of 5-10 hours/month.

If you are a member of UUCA and interested in joining the BBC, please email [email protected] , or speak to any of our members.

The BBC developed the Accountability Checklist to help us put our anti-racist aspirations into practice. Please select the link below to view the accountability checklist: BBC Accountability Checklist

Launching our sermon series on the Eight Principles of Unitarian Universalism, we explore the challenges embedded in our belief in the “inherent worth and dignity of every person.” In these difficult times, it can be tough to recognize – or uncover – the worth and dignity in those we see as a threat to our way of life. And yet, doing so is essential to our ability to bridge the divides in our country. Join us HERE on Sunday morning.

Next Service

As we near the national election in November, we are especially aware of the Fifth Principle of Unitarian Universalism, which reminds us of “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at … read more.

Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation

7400 Temple Hill Rd.
Camp Springs, MD 20748
Directions
(301) 449-4308

Weddings & Rentals

Davies offers a beautiful setting for weddings, parties, and all of life’s celebrations. As Unitarian Universalists, the congregation takes particular joy in celebrating marriages and rites of passage in the LGBTQ+ community. Check HERE for more information on renting space.

Our Minister

In addition to his work with the Davies community and the Unitarian Universalist movement, Rev. Norman Allen is an award-winning playwright and essayist. Learn more about him HERE.

Learn about Unitarian Universalism?

We know — for folks coming from some traditional faiths, it can take some explaining! Check out the Seven Principles of Unitarianism on our site or explore the Unitarian Universalist Association website.

How to I become a member of TUUC?

It’s easy! Just visit our welcome page, which has lots of information for prospective members of TUUC.

Join a group or committee?

Easy! Check out our Committees or Groups and fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Or just grab an old-timer and ask for help

Join a social action project?

Check our list of social action projects and ways you can help, whether making casseroles for the hungry or mentoring a teen

Sign up my child for Religious Exploration?

Come early to the 11:15 a.m. service and ask for Joyce Duncan, our credentialed religious educator. Or read up on the different age groups and fill out the form on the Youth Religious Exploration page.

Volunteer to help at Sunday services?

Get in touch with the Lay Worship Associates Committee, or the Hospitality Committee, or the Ushers Team by filling our the form at the bottom of this page.

Arrange for pastoral care for someone who’s sick, grieving or in need?

Contact the Caring Committee by filling out the form below or send a note to our minister, the Rev. Clare Petersberger, at: [email protected]

Pledge or donate to TUUC?

Look for the Pledge and Donate buttons on our home page.

Rent TUUC facilities?

Other questions, comments or offers to help out? Just fill out this form.

Unitarian Universalism

Unitar′ian Univer′salist

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All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

The Church shall be a fellowship of individuals with free minds, having for its object the study and practice of liberal religion, including the principles propounded by the Unitarian Universalist Association, the development of a more meaningful life for each of its members and friends, and the building of a better community and world. Love shall be the spirit of the Church, with service to one another and to the larger community its greatest concern. The members and friends of the Church do hereby covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in all things, and the help one another.

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, affirm and promote. . .

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person
• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
• The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
• The goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we deepen our understanding and expand our vision through. . .

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love
• Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against the idolatries of the mind and spirit
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

• General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center

Without a doubt, one of the most liberal faith movements, the official Unitarian Universalist Association website states, “Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that embraces theological diversity; we welcome different beliefs.” Because the religion does not require a belief in God, Christ’s divinity, or the trinity doctrine, most traditional Christian faith groups would classify them as a non-Christian cult.

The Unitarian Universalist faith willingly receives people of diverse beliefs (atheists, humanists, Christians, and pagans, to name a few) and promotes broad-minded acceptance of each individual’s search for spiritual growth, truth, and meaning. Unitarian Universalist seekers are encouraged to “find their own spiritual path.”

The Bible Is Not the Final Authority in Unitarian Universalism

While the Bible is an important text for some Unitarian Universalists, many seek guidance from other sacred books and religious traditions. According to the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM), Unitarian Universalists generally agree that “human reason and experience should be the final authority in determining the spiritual truth.

Social justice and serving humanity are two important interests of Unitarian Universalists. You will encounter them fighting for the rights and freedoms of women, working to end slavery, advocating for equality among people of all sexual orientations, and supporting same-sex marriages. In spite of their relatively small numbers, they have managed to be quite influential in waging a number of cultural causes. Most adherents are also comfortable merging the findings of science into their belief system.

If you’d like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, Jack Zavada has done an excellent job unpacking some of the tenets of this theologically controversial faith group.

All of our worship services are currently happening online.

All are welcome!

Archive of Sunday Services

Also available on our YouTube page.

Due to copyright restrictions, parts of our live service can’t be recorded. Because of this, some of our videos have had content muted or removed. Below are a few of our most recent worship services.

– Non-uments and Toppled Statues – Joseph Bednarik –

The ropes are taut and the protesters are pulling hard. Slowly the giant stone man begins to tip until gravity takes over and finishes the job with a resounding crash. The crowd roars its approval and feels a surge of accomplishment. What do we see when we look at the freshly vacated space?

Joseph Bednarik, a frequent and much appreciated speaker at KUUF, is a publisher at Copper Canyon Press in Pt. Townsend and assistant to the minister for preaching at Quimper Unitarian Fellowship.

– Answering Yes to Life – Rev. Jessica Star Rockers –

Eleven months after being liberated from a concentration camp in World War 2, psychologist Viktor Frankl held a series of public lectures in Vienna. He had lost everything, endured unimaginable horrors, and yet he remained unshakeable in his conviction that within every crisis, there is opportunity. Instead of, What can I expect from life? he believed we should ask ourselves, What can life expect from me? In this service we will consider the questions that life is asking us right now, and how we might answer them.

– Determined to Rise – Rev. Carol McKinley –

One hundred years ago, sex as a barrier to voting in the United States was officially eliminated with ratification of the 19th Amendment. It expanded voting rights to more people than any other single measure in American history, yet, even as it furthered gender equality, intersecting inequalities of class, race, and ethnicity remained intact. We celebrate Women’s Suffrage, even as much remains to be done.

– You Are Here. Now What? – Joseph Bednarik –

The large map is on display behind Plexiglas. A bold arrow points to a spot and three words announce, in no uncertain terms: “You are here.” These three words–each on its own then working together–are profound: Individuality. Existence. Location. This sermon follows that arrow to a specific spot on the map, bows to the miracle of existence, then asks “OK. Now what?”

In this time of turmoil as our nation struggles to determine its “soul,” this sermon will explore the overlap of the core principles, values, and ideals of our American society and liberal religion.

– Reading Against the Grain – Rev. Carol McKinley –

Many of us grew up in this country absorbing, without question, the dominant values and beliefs in our culture and history – like the values expressed in this nation’s founding documents. Yet common and widely-accepted interpretations may not be those of others who live among us. We can expand our understanding by learning to read against the grain, challenging dominant understanding by looking through others’ eyes.

– UU General Assembly –

We joined the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for their Sunday morning worship as part of the General Assembly (GA). This is the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. Rev. Joan Javier-Duval of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, VT will deliver the sermon, “Beyond the Water’s Edge”:

These are uncertain and volatile times. These are times that call on us to work towards our collective liberation while also tending to our spiritual needs and caring for others. How do we ready ourselves for what is being asked of us? How do we keep moving even when we don’t feel ready?

– Flower Communion –

We welcomed the summer season by celebrating our annual Flower Communion service. And this year, since we are still holding our services over Zoom, it was more like a virtual flower parade!

– The Significance of Stonewall –

The Movement for Black Lives has inspired the world to action these past few weeks. This uprising has come in response to the tragic death of George Floyd, as well as countless other black lives lost to state-sanctioned violence, and it will continue in the weeks and months ahead. As we celebrate Pride month, we honor another uprising that changed the world, the Stonewall rebellion. Led by two transgender women of color, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the Stonewall uprising fought back against the police brutality experienced by the LGBTQ community. Largely led by people of color, the story of Stonewall has a lot to teach us about how to resist police brutality, defend ourselves and those we love, and create lasting change.

– The Ordination of Margo Rinehart –

Our service this Sunday was very special. As a congregation, we will be ordaining longtime KUUF member Margo Rinehart into professional Unitarian Universalist ministry. Because we are a democratic faith, and we follow congregational polity, it is only our congregations that can ordain ministers. Margo has put in years of training, education, and learning to have arrived at this moment. Let us gather together, cross this threshold alongside Margo, and be inspired to recommit ourselves to the revolutionary call of this faith.

– Wonder & Delights – our KUUF Children & Youth –

For parents cloistered at home with their children, this might be a time when family togetherness may be wearing a little thin at moments. But the rest of us are missing the children in our lives, our beloved grandkids, our students, our nephews and nieces and especially the children in our Fellowship. Children and youth give us all such joy and delight. We shared videos of the children and youth in our congregation being their own best selves. It filled our hearts with goodness and love for the week ahead!

– Lift Up Your Voice –

We celebrate the music (and musicians!) that bring such joy to our community. Brian Kenny, Mike Menefee and many other talented members of our community will share their gifts with us as we sing along at home. So lift up your voice as we honor the power of music to heal the soul.

Please note: Music begins early with the instrumental stylings of our own music coordinator and accompanist Brian Kenny.

“Sp iritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which
celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to
live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.”

The Sixth Source of Affirmation
of the Unitarian Universalist Association

CUUPS Statement on White Supremacy

Adopted by the Board August 16, 2017

The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Inc., stands with colleagues, members and friends committed to building communities of humane interaction, dialogue, and deep listening, and creating a world that is safe and free of hate. We, along with so many others, express outrage and grief over the events in Charlottesville, Virginia on the weekend of August 12th, 2017.

We are not safe or free when we and our loved ones live in fear. We are compelled to speak out against hateful actions of white supremacist organizations and people, as well as the conditions and ideas steeped in the systemic white supremacy on which this nation was founded. And we remain committed to confronting systems of oppression within our communities and ourselves, alongside so many others within Unitarian Universalism, as we all work together to fulfill the promise of our faith.

First and foremost, we uphold our commitment to the Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Violent actions will never resolve what divides us. Attitudes of superiority of any kind; racial, religious, cultural, gender, ethnic, or otherwise serve to diminish not only our fellow travelers, but also ourselves and our legacies. All human life is precious and sacred.

Holding these truths, we, the Board of Trustees of CUUPS, Inc., commit ourselves, and call on members and friends to:

• Diligently call out language and acts of hate as well as expressions of white supremacy;
• Work intentionally to unlearn internalized racism through education, practice, and reflection, both alone and within accountable communities;
• Deliberately take actions to counter, interrupt and dismantle structural racism, and challenge cultural norms and values rooted in white racial dominance;
• Move peacefully if participating in protests on the streets;
• Create listening circles to deeply hear one another;
• Learn to listen more, speak less and value the beauty of those with different experiences, perspectives, and practices;
• Act as partners in creating communities of kindness, understanding and love among diverse peoples.

Additionally, we commit ourselves, and call on white members and friends to:

• Renew soul-searching to understand white privilege and to challenge or dismantle it for the benefit of those not so privileged;
• Examine critically the spiritual traditions based on adopted, ancestral, or biological lineages and the co-optation of pagan religions to support racist ideology; develop awareness of places where reliance on “ancestry” is a code to support racism; and look for ways to support and include People of Color within and outside of those lineages;
• Give deference to, elevate, and amplify the voices of People of Color;
• Build safe harbors for those in need of expressing anxiety, fear, anger and upset.

We believe that Earth and Nature-centered peoples, groups who are diety-relating and Pagan spiritual and religious traditions have much to offer. Each of us can invite people to connect their hearts to the earth, ritual, their deities, gods/desses, and the arts. Each of us can offer rituals that celebrate human differences, rituals that cast away illusions and prejudice, rituals that challenge powers of oppression, rituals that bring healing and wholeness. We can practice the deep, patient listening that bridges division and dispels hate. Each of us can find more humane ways to interact with all humankind, perform acts of kindness, and speak gratitude. We can use art, performance, writing, music and dance to express courage and freedom. We are each agents of change; holding up a mirror, embodying an alternative, illuminating a new path forward.

Commit to building a world where hate, injustice, and violence are only distant memories. Let us return to the sacred sources that feed the depths of love and remind us of the Divine in many expressions. Hold one another, move hand in hand, and wield the power of love to overcome hate. Together, we will do this hard work. We are the ones. The future without division and oppression is ours to craft.

IMPORTANT UPDATE! During this public health emergency, please join us for online services every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Follow the ZOOM link on home page to join.

In a recent conversation, my brother, an internist, expounded on the benefits of regular exercise. My brother would say its the most important thing you can do for yourself. I concurred, while sheepishly confessing how difficult it is for me to make exercise a regular practice in my life. Upon reflection, however, I suggested that from my perspective spiritual practice is most beneficial for well-being. We playfully bantered about our myopic views, driven by our professional biases, knowing, deep down, that there is no need to create an either/or hierarchy between physical exercise and spiritual practice. Our well-being depends upon both.

As a minister, my business is caring for souls. Not in the sense of an immortal part of you that transcends this life, but in the here-and-now sense of your central essence — that ephemeral unique part of you that contains the capacity to love, to feel joy, and to experience suffering. The part of you not contained in any particular place in your body, but infusing mind and body with well-being or dis-ease. In these challenging time we live in, with the now almost daily news of hate crimes, random acts of violence and unprecedented natural disasters, I worry about our tender souls, yours and mine, and what I’d call that of our group body — the soul of the world we live in.

Lately, we’ve been asking ourselves the soulful question: ‘what keeps you hopeful?’ Invariably, the answers swing back to a sense of connectedness — often to this community and family. I know I am routinely uplifted by the generosity, justice-making, attention to beauty and caring of this community. YOU keep me hopeful. And a sense of hope is essential to making it through hard times.

Similarly, I often hear people telling me that they were debating whether to come on Sunday morning — due to their mounting To-Do list, the beautiful weather, a desire to sleep in, you name it. . . . . Once they got over that obstacle, however, they are very glad they showed up. Sunday morning is the heart-beat of congregational life — the central moment of gathering for the community, the time to pause from the daily onslaught of life’s demands, find comfort if you need it, and be inspired to act if that is your need. Each Sunday has its moments of beauty and inspiration, but like physical exercise, it is the practice of regular attendance that yields the resulting sense of greater well-being.

These times demand that we care for ourselves and one another. The weight of the world could easily wear us down. And we need to stay as strong as we can to make it through the challenges before us. My invitation to you is to make Sunday services a practice and see how it informs your sense of hope and well-being.

I know, I know, I’m an agnostic …

Unitarian Universalist Flaming Chalice Image via Wikipedia

… but these words, shared by the Blacksburg Unitarian Universalist Church’s interim minister Rev. Alex Richardson, moved me enough to want to share them, as I believe one of the ways we save ourselves from small personal hells is through writing. These words are all a prelude, of sorts, to the longer post I’m working on.

“… There are many kinds of private hells in which living men and women dwell every day. These are small personal hells of meaninglessness, banality, and loneliness. Hells of shame, hells of guilt, hells of loss, hells of failure. There are as many kinds of these small hells as there are people who live in them. And from some of those hells, we, as a church, can and do provide a kind of salvation, a release, or, at the very least, a respite. We are in the business of saving souls from those kinds of small individual hells of despair and disappointment that drive people into exile and isolation, separated from community as well as from their own essential goodness.

“… We are saved, at last, by the fellowship of people no better or worse off than we are. What liberates us from those tiny hells in which we dwell all alone is as common as a handshake, as ordinary as hearing your name spoken by another, as simple as being asked to share your thoughts.

“We are one another’s salvation.”

When I looked for a link to Rev. Meyer, I learned that she passed away in 2010. An online eulogy for her includes this George Bernard Shaw quote as a summary of her outlook:

George Bernard Shaw, Image via Wikipedia

“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

It’s possible that I’m going to give up my efforts at original creative writing in favor of readingreadingreading, finding who’s said it better and more accurately before me and then just (re)tweeting those words like mad. Though I suspect that’s not quite sufficient purpose for the “splendid torch” of my life ….

Sunday Services: 10:00am

2019-2020 is a “Living Our Faith Tradition” year in Religious Education! We are using the following UUA Tapestry of Faith curricula:

Prek-1st Grade Group = “Wonderful Welcome”

The intangible gifts explored in “Wonderful Welcome” are all components of welcoming itself, a core Unitarian Universalist value. This program helps children understand and practice other values central to Unitarian Universalism such as friendship, hospitality, and fairness. It offers children safe, positive and intentional ways to relate to one another, the people in their families, and the world around them as they investigate how they use gifts they can’t see or touch to welcome others into their lives. Each session begins with a Wonder Box that contains a symbol of the session’s theme. The Wonder Box engages the children’s curiosity and encourages a spirit of inquiry and reflection.

2nd-6th Grade Group = “Toolbox of Faith”

“Toolbox of Faith” invites participants to reflect on the qualities of our Unitarian Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, as tools they can use in living their lives and building their own faith. Each of the 16 sessions uses a tool as a metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as reflection (symbolized by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), and justice (a flashlight). Reflecting on the qualities (tools) of our faith, children and leaders gain insight into what makes our faith important in their lives, and how they can grow in our faith.

“Our Whole Lives” (“OWL”) helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. With a holistic approach, “Our Whole Lives” provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality.

* Parents/Guardians must attend an orientation session prior to their children participating in this program; “OWL” will be offered 2-3 Sundays/month by UUA-trained facilitators

6th Grade & Up = “Youth Group”

On most non-“OWL” Sundays, middle and high school youth will gather to exercise their hearts, minds, and spirits supported by youth group advisors. The social action and community-building activities will be voted on and planned by the youth.

Of course we incorporate multigenerational worship, social action opportunities, and whole congregation social events as well!

We are always looking for volunteers to help us open our minds, expand our loving hearts, and extend our helping hands in Religious Education and beyond! Contact Director of Religious Education, Darle ne Anderson-Alexander, to day t o set up a time to discuss how you might share your gifts!

Study Guide

Spiritual Practice and Social Justice

“Justice is the ongoing, never-ending journey to remake community by strengthening relationships.” Marvin Ellison

As Unitarian Universalists, the core values of our faith call us to help create a world of justice, in which all people are accorded their basic human rights and our communities transcend divisions of class, race, nationality, and the many “-isms” that can separate us. Living up to this vision is a difficult challenge.

Our experience of injustice is of course different, depending on our social identities and daily experiences. For those of us with target identities, our work is to find the way to sustain ourselves in the face of oppression and injustice. For those of us who navigate the world with privilege, the challenge is to stay awake and aware of how that privilege operates in our daily lives and in our institutions. Most of us have a combination of target and dominant identities, and we are called to make sense of that in a way that helps us feel empowered and able to contribute to the world of justice we envision.

The UU College of Social Justice is designed to help people become more effective in working for social justice in our fractured world — and to sustain our courage, commitment, and energy through the long arc of this work. Our programs offer direct hands-on experience, along with study, reflection, and discussion. But spiritual practices are also central to what we do, including group worship and individual contemplative practices like prayer and meditation.

We believe that genuine social transformation is brought about when individuals and groups are willing to be changed, even as they strive to change the world. Our programs are structured to help you integrate the models of inner, personal transformation and outer social transformation, in order to build holistic and sustainable ways of doing and living the work of social justice.

Participating in our UUCSJ programs, and doing the justice work that follows, will often lead us out of our comfort zones. We have to struggle with our own biases when dealing with different social issues and cultures. We have to be willing to see where we may have internalized oppressive beliefs ourselves. To be effective agents of change and transformation in the long run, we must develop the ability to stay connected, even when uncomfortable, without jumping into our automatic modes of defense. This kind of personal work requires a high level of self-awareness, patience, and compassion, which are qualities developed by spiritual practices.

The Emphasis on Spiritual Practice

The modern world trains us well in the habits of multitasking. Though this can feel efficient, it comes with a price. The ability to stay with a question and deeply probe our being for its answer; the practices of pondering, of thoughtful consideration and waiting for insight; and the skill to drift through the layers of awareness in our bodies and minds to discover what we really feel about something. These often fall by the wayside, sacrificed to busyness.

The learning offered through a UUCSJ journey is best absorbed through deep attention, so we ask our participants to choose a simple practice that will help develop this kind of attention. We learn how to practice distraction, preoccupation, and busyness all the time, just because of the habits of modern life. Training in things like attention, awareness, gratitude, and patience takes some deliberate effort.

What is a spiritual practice?

Spiritual practices can be traditional or modern, familiar or quirky, solitary or communal. Examples of spiritual practice include silent meditation, prayer, yoga, and scripture study. But there are lots of everyday things that can become a practice for you: a regular walk in the woods or around the block, attentive journal-writing, memorizing favorite poems, or playing a musical instrument. Or perhaps you gain a sense of deep connection from time with family, remembering your ancestors, ecstatic dancing, or participating in a drum circle. What helps you connect to your sense of the Divine, the infinite, or even just your wonder?

It isn’t so much about what you do, but how you do it. And the common elements in any spiritual practice are attention, intention, and repetition.

Attention means we pay attention to the present moment: we experience what is happening with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is.

Intention is the deliberate engagement of our will, in a practice that nurtures a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves.

Repetition makes our centering activity into a habit: one that cultivates qualities like awareness, patience, and compassion. Like learning a new language or a musical instrument, repetition is how we practice awareness, curiosity, and openness to everything we do — including our daily struggles for social justice.

As an example, walking on the beach can be very healthy and relaxing; it can even give you a deep spiritual experience of connection. But it will become a spiritual practice only when it is done with awareness and intention, and is repeated consistently over a period of time.

We encourage you to choose for your practice something that warmly beckons you, something you love, that helps you quiet the noise in your mind so you can pay attention on a deeper level. Choose something that helps you to be in just one place for a little while, doing just one thing with your whole awareness. Whatever that is, if you do it with attention, intention, and repetition, it can be your spiritual practice. Engaging in it will help you bring your best awareness to your UUCSJ program.

Please note that there are external links to videos, articles, and other resources that you will need internet access for.

Creating loving community • Inspiring spiritual growth • Encouraging lives of integrity, joy, and service

Small Group Ministry is a spiritual practice that creates a sacred space where we can tell the stories of our lives, be heard, and listen deeply to those of our companions. This is the heart of the Chalice Circle experience; all of the other parts of the format are designed to support this.

It has three parts. The first is preparation to discuss the topic. At the end of each meeting the facilitator passes out a slip of paper with the topic for the next meeting, expanded by a number of leading questions to help the participants focus their thoughts. This lead-time is important for a person’s thinking process to consider the most relevant experiences and to build the courage to speak their truth.

The second part is the exercise of telling that story in a protected space to a group of people who are similarly vulnerable. This is a wonderful experience: to be listened to. Most participants don’t realize how rare this is and how much they want it until they experience it in a Small Group Ministry setting. It is a feeling of being both known and valued.

The third element of this experience is deep listening. This comes naturally to people who have practiced meditation, because they have trained themselves to empty their minds and listen to their breath, to be open to the sounds of the environment, to allow their own feelings and thoughts to dissolve and dissipate. This same attentiveness and egoless-ness is the hallmark of deeply listening to the experiences being narrated by fellow members of a Chalice Circle. It is a matter of standing out of the way so as to empathetically participate in the speaker’s experience. The result is a kaleidoscope of experiences around the topic of the meeting.

Special Events

• Summer Forum: Dr. Paloma Pavel and Carl Anthony
  • 08-16-2020
• Summer Forum: Bruce Gardner
  • 08-23-2020

Next Service

This 25-minute evening service, led by current UUCB Worship Associates through August, provides a time to come together mid-week to experience moments of reflection, prayer and song, grounded in our UU faith. The link and password are provided in The Week Ahead

Last updated 2009-10-27

Unitarian Universalism is not an atheist movement but this article explains why atheists may comfortably fit into this organisation.

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Unitarian Universalism

Ours is a non-creedal, non-doctrinal religion which affirms the individual’s freedom of belief.

Unitarian Universalist publications

Unitarian Universalism is not an atheist movement, but a religious movement into which some atheists may comfortably fit.

The Unitarian Universalist logo ©

The movement proclaims the importance of individual freedom of belief, and it includes members from a wide spectrum of beliefs.

Unitarianism and Universalism began in the 18th century as a reaction against some Christian doctrines. The movements joined together in 1961.

Is it atheist?

The movement does not have an official definition of God, but allows members to “develop individual concepts of God that are meaningful to them.” Members are entirely free to “reject the term and concept altogether.”

However, the movement’s literature says:

Most of us do not believe in a supernatural, supreme being who can directly intervene in and alter human life or the mechanism of the natural world. Many believe in a spirit of life or a power within themselves, which some choose to call God.

Unitarian Universalist literature

Most followers of established religions would regard this as an atheist position.

Services in the movement’s churches do not make much (if any) mention of God. They emphasise human, ethical and social issues, and do not assume a belief in God.

Unitarian Universalist church in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Photo: Jonathan Lamb ©

Spirituality

While the movement is both religious and spiritual, it does not have any place for spiritual beings that have an existence outside this world. Spirituality is seen as a dimension of ordinary life, in the same way as human life has physical, mental and emotional dimensions.

Afterlife

Most Unitarian Universalists believe that this is the only life we get.

Attitude to religion

Unitarian Universalists believe there is wisdom in most, if not all, of the world’s religions. They feel each is valuable for what it can tell us about humanity and the world, and how people can find religious meaning and direction.

A statement of belief

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions. We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places.

We believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. In the end religious authority lies not in a book, person, or institution, but in ourselves. We put religious insights to the test of our hearts and minds.

We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a noncreedal religion. Ours is a free faith.

We believe that religious wisdom is ever changing. Human understanding of life and death, the world and its mysteries, is never final. Revelation is continuous. We celebrate unfolding truths known to teachers, prophets, and sages throughout the ages.

We affirm the worth of all women and men. We believe people should be encouraged to think for themselves. We know people differ in their opinions and lifestyles, and we believe these differences generally should be honored.

We seek to act as a moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion. The here and now and the effects our actions will have on future generations deeply concern us. We know that our relationships with one another, with diverse peoples, races, and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, and compassion.

Unitarian Universalist Association

Sunday Sermon-Blessing of the Backpacks

” data-medium-file=” data-large-file=” src=” alt=”Religious Education” srcset=” 222w, 84w” sizes=”(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px” /> Spark Kids listening to Rev. Mark’s blessing

The ceremony of the Blessing of the Backpacks is one that has become beloved in many UU congregations. It is a tangible way for congregations as a whole to take a moment to say to these students, starting back into another year on their educational journeys “We are here for you. We know that being a kid is hard sometimes and we know that studying and learning is hard some times and we support you. We believe in your efforts and your abilities.” It is a way for us to rally around these younger members letting them know that they go out into the world with the full support and love of their congregation. I was blessed to get to deliver this morning’s sermon at UUCC.

The morning was filled with a beautiful service, celebrating our 4th Principal. William Butler Yeats once said that education was not “the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire”. Within UU congregations, there is a culture of promoting education- the seeking out of truth that arises from an environment of constant questioning. Across the board, members of UU churches statistically beat the national average for high school graduation, some college, college and graduate/post graduate studies.

Backpack tags for UUCC

” data-medium-file=” data-large-file=” src=” alt=”Unitarian Universalist Religious Education” width=”270″ height=”438″ srcset=” 270w, 92w, 185w, 474w” sizes=”(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px” /> Tags for the backpacks

For parents, involving their children in Unitarian Universalism means that they are making an active effort for them to be accepted into a culture that promotes free and critical thinking and asking hard questions that aren’t easily answered. Religious education programs in UU churches around the world seek to stop filling buckets with religious dogma and instead, light fires of a genuine search for truth and meaning.

The sermon was summed up by a quote from Charlotte Mason: “The question is not, how much does the youth know when he has finished his education, but how much does he care and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”

How full indeed.

Make a Joyful Noise

Music can be an important spiritual practice

” data-medium-file=” data-large-file=” src=” alt=”Music as spiritual Practice” width=”461″ height=”288″ srcset=” 461w, 150w, 300w, 768w, 890w” sizes=”(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px” />Music plays such an important role in the human experience. Very few things are as moving to the soul as music. It is an important part of the worship experience, whether you worship in a congregation or alone. Music, played or listened to, is a meaningful spiritual practice.

UU Hymns are particularly meaningful because they pull from all of our sources- from Judeo-Christian roots to the practice of observing the natural world. Quest for Meaning provides a list of favorite UU Hymns in MP3 format (click on the ‘music’ tab). Check them out and make a joyful noise! It’s good for your soul.

The Religious Education of Children

The religious education of children is such an important foundation to lay. Children are naturally close to the Divine and do not have to struggle to remain connected to the spiritual in the world, as adults most often do. Children are born naturally curious about the world around them and even the smallest things are of infinite fascination. As a children’s religious educator, it is not my job to drive the spiritual into children but rather give them the means to further connect to it in meaningful ways.

Another important facet in the religious education of children is interfaith study, not as indoctrination, but with the purpose of providing a children a broad base of knowledge in the world’s faith traditions. Our congregation’s religious education program states:

Our mission is to assist children in learning to think for themselves as well as provide faith-based support for their families.

Notice we don’t make a statement of WHAT faith. My personal mission, as a religious educator, is to meet children and families wherever they are at on their spiritual journey and then help them to pursue it further. As a religious educator, this type of work furthers my personal spiritual journey as well.

Shalom