About Worship

Sunday morning worship services bring our community together, help us find support as we grow through the milestones of life and the major events in our world, illuminate our values, and help us translate those values into action. We meet in person and on Zoom every Sunday at 10:30am in our sanctuary. You can find lots of handy tips about what to expect on the Your First Visit page < https://www.unitariansociety.org/about-tus/your-first-visit/ >  Unitarian Universalism is a unique faith with its own traditions, yet many of the elements of the service may be familiar to you, such as music, stories, meditation, and a sermon. Worship services begin with a chalice lighting, a specifically Unitarian Universalist ritual that reminds us of our heritage, our commitments to truth and justice, and the sacredness of our time together. Most services include a time to commemorate personal joys and sorrows, either by speaking them aloud or by silently lighting a candle.

As a pluralistic faith tradition, we design our worship services speak to our shared values, leaving plenty of room for diverse beliefs, the creative space of doubt, and the beauty of the unknown. We do not ask participants to adhere to a creed. Our members may combine other traditions with Unitarian Universalism, meaning we have Buddhist UU’s, Christian UU’s, Pagan UU’s, Jewish UU’s, and others among us. Some of the readings or hymns in worship may celebrate one or more of these traditions, and we can appreciate each other’s journeys without requiring everyone to follow the same path.

A number of holidays and special occasions help us mark the seasons and cycles of the year. The Sunday after Labor Day is the Water Ingathering service, when we remember our unity and our many spiritual sources by bringing together drops of water from the many places that sustain us. It is not unusual for us to make a note of Jewish or Pagan holidays, reflecting the spiritual traditions of some of our members. We often have a remembrance service near the end of October or beginning of November to honor our loved ones who have died. On Christmas Eve, we celebrate with carols and candlelight at 6:30pm. Our Easter services retell stories about Jesus while also making room for many interpretations of those stories. Late in the spring, we celebrate a Unitarian Universalist tradition known as the Flower Ceremony, when people bring a flower to symbolize their commitment to our diverse community, and we admire the beauty of a colorful bouquet put together by many hands. Throughout the year, we honor our Unitarian Universalist values and the cultural and spiritual traditions of our members, learning from each other respectfully and supporting each other in spiritual growth.

One of the ways we express our values is through generosity. We take up an offering each week and share it with a community partner in a program called Be The Change, turning what was once change in our pockets into support for our values in the world. Half of the proceeds of the offering go toward the operation of the congregation, and half are donated to an organization such as a local charity or a national justice organization. Visitors are not expected to donate toward the offering. Members can make their gift by check, through our Breeze mobile app, or by placing cash in the basket during the service.

We are a multigenerational community, and we know that children and youth have spiritual needs just like adults. Young people need a sense of belonging, familiarity with rituals, and a little bit of inspiration to take into their week. They also need interactive exploration that ignites their curiosity and mentors who take their questions seriously, and they need a bit of fun. In order to balance all of these needs, during the school year, people of all ages worship together for the first part of the service before children, youth, and teachers transition to Religious Education, also known as Spirit Lab. During the time when young people are in the sanctuary, they are welcome to sit with their parents or guardians, or sit at the “Very Intentional People” (VIP) space, a table in the sanctuary filled with coloring pages, craft items, and quiet toys. On special holidays, the multigenerational time in worship may be extended to include an interactive ritual, still leaving an energy break for kids toward the end of the service supervised by volunteers. During the summer and on a few days a year when most families are away (such as the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s), children are invited to stay in the sanctuary for the entire service. Spirit Lab also has some worship elements to it, such as lighting a chalice and sharing personal news (“sads and glads”), helping to build community among the children and youth.

We hope you will visit a worship service some time soon, either online or in person. All are welcome.