From all of us at the Central East Region, we wish you Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year.

Please remember that the UUA offices are closed from December 22nd through January 1st to allow our staff time to spend with their families during the holidays. We'll be back January 2nd.

In honor of the holidays we bring you this reading from WorshipWeb

Meditation on Winter Celebrations

By Elizabeth M Strong

We are in the midst of the season of celebration.

Celebrations:

Of the birth of new hope,

Of the festival of lights,

Of the triumph of freedom.

The darkness of the year is lifting and the time of light grows longer. We have gathered with an anticipation of hope for peace on earth and in our homes.

We have gathered in this season of celebrations seeking comfort to soften the pain and the losses our lives have suffered in the fast retreating year.

We have gathered to worship joyfully within this season of celebrations with the tenderness and love of family and friends around us.

Let us be embraced by the strength and power of this sacred space that we each bring as we create this beloved community.

Let joy and sorrow join in the fullness of our living.

Let the power and strength we embody join us together as we move through the seasons of celebration into a new year with a new vision of hope for peace on earth.

Let us be silent together.