Unitarian Universalists honor and celebrate a wide range of holidays and occasions over the course of a year. Unlike other faith traditions that use a single lectionary (a collection of scripture readings appointed for a given day or occasion), the topics and themes for Unitarian Universalist worship services are usually chosen independently by worship leaders in congregations. These include unique UU traditions, like the Flower Ceremony, as well as holidays from other faith traditions, such as Christmas or Beltane.
View and download the 2023-24 UUA Worship Calendar (PDF), which includes faith-based and secular holidays that UU congregations often celebrate. The calendar also includes monthly worship themes used in popular theme-based ministry programs. To download or print, follow the link and use the File menu, then select the Landscape layout option.
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God of our hearts, that which enlightens and ennobles us, we come together in a unity of spirit to celebrate a personal commitment of these young men and women. We join in thanksgiving....Meditation | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age -
For any of the components, below, you might insert other options from WorshipWeb's resources -- or write your own!...Complete Service | By Anonymous | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Aging, Children, Coming of Age, Faith, Family, Generations, Growth, History, Parents, Unitarian Universalism
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We are here today to recognize the completion of your program of study for this Coming of Age ceremony and to celebrate with you the faith you have come to accept through this year of questioning and investigating. Some of you were brought to a Unitarian Universalist church to be Dedicated and...Opening | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age
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Now, go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Prove all things and hold fast that which is good. Amen.Closing | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age
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We are never complete. We are never finished. We are always yet to be. May we always allow others to be, and help and enable each other to grow toward all that we are capable of becoming. Amen...Closing | By Anonymous | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age
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Parents Once you were infants dependent upon our love and the wisdom of others.Youth Now we are young persons entering an adult world with increasing responsibilities for our own decision making.Parents Once you belonged to an environment of faith and values outside your ability to alter or reject.Reading | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age
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This is the kind of God I could worship: a heavenly Mother who prefers imitation to adoration, and who sees in all Creation the indivisible smiles of Her children. Our Mother, Holy Wisdom, draws one breath and even we who are miles away are warmed by the glory of Her inspiration. Our Mother, Holy...Meditation | By Jeffrey B Symynkywicz | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Mother's Day
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In the hours before the birds stream airborne with chiming voice, a silent breath rests in the pines, and upholds the surface of the lake as if it were a fragile bubble in the very hand of God. And I think, this is how we are called....Meditation | By Kimberly Beyer-Nelson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Calling, Direct Experience, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Nature, Transcendence, Wonder -
Squirrel: tch tch tch Sparrow: cheep cheep Mouse/mice: squeak squeak Frogs: ribbit needeep Tadpoles: ribribrib Grass: oooohhhh Pond: plip plop Peepers: peep peep peep Nighthawk: scree scree Daffodils: nodding head/trumpet sound It wasn't a particularly hard winter that year, but it was long and...Reading | By Kirsty Johnson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Animals, Earth-Centered, Easter, Vernal Equinox
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Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre. (The origin of the word east, the direction of the rising sun, comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word aurora, which means “to...Reading | By Adrianne Ross | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Easter, Paganism, Vernal Equinox -
God of life and beauty: We pray for the quietness of snowflakes, knowing that love is quiet. We pray for the kindness of small acts, knowing gentleness is fragile....Prayer | By Lucinda S Duncan | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, Compassion, God, Kindness, Living Our Faith, Service, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
We seek life’s meaning in the wonder of morning In the freshness of springtime, And in each others hearts and minds. Yet still we hope for something more, A break in the ordinary, An infusion of the unexpected, An explosion of glory, A miracle, Revealing more than we hope to understand.Opening | By Charles F Flagg | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Easter, Mystery
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It was Spring. At long last there was no hint of snow on the ground. It was even warm, sort of. Birds and bugs had, at last, returned to Milwaukee. And so in the great flush of Spring madness, Jan and I decided it was time to barbecue....Sermon | By James Ishmael Ford | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Buddhism, Change, Life Transition, Presence
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Early spring awakens memories of a deeper cold and hopes of a warmer wetness, sprouting seeds and budding branches. Gray trees on gray sky screen eyes from all that lies waiting: the color of a million flowers, the feathers of migrating songbirds, the blossoming smiles of friends. Soon we will no...Meditation | By Stephen M. Shick | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Autumnal Equinox, Beginnings, Communion (Christian), Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Journey, Nature, Transcendence, Transformation, Vernal Equinox -
I invite you now into a quiet time, a time for spoken and silent contemplation. Spirit of Life, we have come into each other's presence this day seeking a part of ourselves, knowing that we do not live alone, and knowing we cannot live fully if we are for ourselves alone....Prayer | By Wayne B. Arnason | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, Connections, Humility, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday -
We bid you welcome on this first Sunday of the new year. Like Janus we gather with part of us looking backward and part of us looking forward. We gather on the edge of the new year saddened by our losses, cherishing our joys, aware of our failures, mindful of days gone by....Opening | By Sylvia L Howe | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Change, Community, Ending, Hope, Letting Go, New Year, Unitarian Universalism
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On a foggy Christmas Eve, Santa realized Rudolph could make the difference in guiding the sleigh.Meditation | By Edward Harris | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christmas Eve / Christmas, Secular, Service, Teamwork
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The Greek philosopher Plato compared the human mind to a ship on which the sailors had mutinied and locked the captain and the navigator in a cabin. On such a ship, the sailors feel free to steer the ship as they like, but their direction is erratic. The goal of our religious education and youth...Closing | By Jeff Liebmann | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Bridging, Bridging Ceremony, Coming of Age, Commitment, Community, Graduation Recognition, Identity, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Unity -
Today we have the opportunity to contribute to a special offering for the Unitarians in Eastern Europe [whose stories you have just learned]. One Transylvanian Unitarian minister, speaking about his congregation's recently revived connection between eastern Unitarians and western Unitarian...Offering | By Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, History, Partner Church Observation, Relationships, Stewardship, Unitarianism
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Lighting a candle is somewhat like the beginning of life. If that is true, then perhaps extinguishing a candle is like the ending of life. But death may not be the end of us. We live on in the memories of friends and loved ones....Chalice Extinguishing | By Lee Huebert | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: All Souls Day, Death, Día de los Muertos, Letting Go, Memorial Services, Mystery, Purpose, Remembrance Day, Unitarian Universalism, Wonder
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As we bring to a close our tribute to the journey we have made through the years, let us be mindful of the enduring bond that keeps us together. Let us remember those who went before and paved the road for us to travel....Closing | By Priscilla Murdock | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Business Meetings, Commitment, Connections, History, Meaning, Purpose
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Once upon a time, a girl named Ramona and a boy named Roberto had a wonderful dog. They named the dog Feliz because he was so happy when they came home from school each day. He bounded toward them, barking and tail wagging madly. His sandy brown coat was sort of wavy around the shoulders but...Reading | By Heather Lynn Hanson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Easter, Good Friday, Grief, Love
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I was working with a group of young people at a Safe Schools conference in Boston. They were discussing how to tell their parents they were gay or lesbian. Many of them had suffered harassment, brutality, and ostracism by their peers, and they worried about how to protect their parents from the...Reading | By Elizabeth Tarbox | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Family, Good Friday, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Unitarian Universalism
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May means Mother’s Day. I’m going to trust Hallmark and daddies and six year-olds and grown-up kids who are mommies themselves to honor the mothers among us as they deserve to be honored—with brass bands, flags flying, breakfast in bed (and kitchens cleaned up afterwards). I wish for those...Reading | By Katie Lee Crane | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children, Family, Fathers, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents -
[Note: We have a tradition of asking each person to bring to church on Mother’s Day a single flower—colored if she is still living, white if she has died. The flowers are arranged on the spot into a bouquet and brought into the service just before the Call to Worship. With a bow to Max Coots for...Ritual | By Judy Welles | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Mother's Day
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(Tea lights are set up in groups of 50 on either side of the chancel in this ritual borrowed from Soulful Sundown.) The long Summer has faded, now, and these first days of November mark the beginning of the coming of Winter....Reading | By Christine Robinson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: All Souls Day, Community, Connections, Día de los Muertos, Family, Grief, Halloween, Letting Go, Relationships, Samhain -
I don't know about you, but I'm a little bit skittish about holidays that seem to have originated with the greeting card people. That's not true, in fact, of Mother's Day....Ritual | By Barbara Child | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children, Direct Experience, Forgiveness, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, Reconciliation
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Blessed are the heavens, for they declare the power of creation. Blessed is the earth, our beloved home, for she is a planet of plenitude. Blessed are the waters thereon, for they gave rise to living things. Blessed is the land, for it is the source of life abundant....Reading | By Richard S. Gilbert | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Earth Day, Nature
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ALL: We come together as a living church. WORSHIP LEADER: We come together from different places as unique individuals. Our paths and the ways of our going are diverse, yet we share our journey....Responsive Reading | By Ruth E Gibson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children, Children's / Religious Education Sunday, Commitment, Community, Homecoming / Ingathering, Leadership, Parents, Teacher Dedication, Teacher Recognition, Unitarian Universalism
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(From the East:) Brothers and sisters in creation, we covenant this day with you and with All creation yet to be; With every living creature and All that contains and sustains you; With All that is on the earth and with the earth itself; With All that lives in the waters and with the waters...Reading | By Sydney A Morris | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Earth Day, Paganism
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The Wedding blessing is to be used with a wedding ritual of pouring water from two vessels into a common vessel, as an alternative to a unity candle....Ritual | By Tess Baumberger | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Commitment, Earth, Earth-Centered, Nature, Unitarian Universalism, Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies, Wisdom
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We wish for you a storm or two that you may enjoy the calm. We wish for you tranquility in time of trial. We wish you a cool breeze on a warm day, and pale white clouds that you may better appreciate the blueness of the sky. We wish you darkness that you may see the stars....Prayer | By Robert F Kaufmann | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Bridging Ceremony, Child Dedication, Children, Children's Sabbath, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Nature, New Child, Parents, Seven Principles, Unitarianism -
Minister: Surrounded by the animals we love, we remember with gratitude the pets, protectors, and animal companions who have blessed our lives. People: We give thanks for our childhood pets, who taught us to love and to cry. We give thanks for our children's pets, who help us to teach them...Responsive Reading | By Christine Robinson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Animal Blessing, Animals, Caring, Children, Direct Experience, Nature, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Responsibility, Unitarian Universalism -
Out of wood and stone, out of dream and sacrifice, the people build a home. Out of the work of their hands and hearts and minds, the people fashion a symbol and a reality. May this house be truly a place of meeting: meeting in warmth and joy and openness; meeting in courage and love and trust....Blessing | By Eileen B Karpeles | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Business Meetings, Courage, Generations, Hope, Inclusion, Love, Peace, Sacrifice, Silence, Sorrow, Trust
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May the walls of this house be strong in the face of storms: Whether of winds or of words, whether of thunder or of tyranny. May the windows of this house be clear to the world's light: Whether of dawns or of daring, whether of sunsets or of stillness....Meditation | By Michael DeVernon Boblett | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Building/Space Dedication, Community, Friendship, Home, Hospitality, New Home
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May your journey know joy and contentment and satisfaction.Meditation | By Dana E Worsnop | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Coming of Age
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I am Unitarian, I live and work in this faith. Jesus is my guide And God is my help. We, humans, are all brothers/sisters, Our law is one: love. The goal of our work is shared, Happy are those of God's Kingdom...Meditation | By Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Faith, God, Love, Partner Church Observation, Purpose, Service, Unitarianism, Unity
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(Hungarian first—English follows) Hol hit—ott szeretet Where there is faith there is love Hol szeretet—ott béke Where there is love there is peace Hol béke—ott áldás Where there is peace there is blessing Hol áldás—ott Isten Where there is blessing there is God Hol Isten—ott...Meditation | By Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Faith, God, History, Love, Partner Church Observation, Peace, Unitarianism
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Here in this church, human beings have gathered for centuries seeking a higher purpose and deeper life than they could find alone. We are grateful today for each one of you, that you have found your way here, and that you have decided to make a commitment to this faith community. We hope that as...Reading | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: New Member Ceremony
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I pledge allegiance to the earth on which I stand, and to the environment of which I am a part, one planet in a Process, with soil, water and air like one body, indivisible, with resources to be cherished and protected by all.Reading | By Vern Barnet | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Environment
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Emmanuel means "God is with us." Who is your Emmanuel? Who is your "God is with us," the one you were promised, the one you have been waiting for? For the ancient prophet Isaiah, he was a boy soon to be born who would guide the people of Judah back to peace and harmony with God....Meditation | By Sarah Movius Schurr | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, Beauty, Belief, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Direct Experience, God, Listening, Searching, Tradition, Transcendence, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder -
The world now has the means to end extreme poverty, we pray we will have the will. What is this prayer about? The Millennium Development Goals were established by the United Nations in 2000 to address issues like extreme poverty, education, gender equality, child mortality, women’s health,...Meditation | By Anonymous | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Poverty, United Nations Day
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Spirit of Life, You call us to embody equity and freedom in our lives.Meditation | By Eric Cherry | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Compassion, Courage, Disaster or Crisis, Human Rights, International, Leadership, Oppression, Peace, Power, Solidarity, Suffering, Wisdom -
We reflect in thanksgiving this day for all those whose lives have nurtured ours.The life-giving onesWho heal with their presenceWho listen in sympathyWho give wise advice ......Meditation | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Mother's Day
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We invoke thy gentlest blessings, God, on all true lovers. We praise thee for the great longing that draws the souls of two persons together. We thank thee for the revealing power of love, and the glory of joyous celebrations. We thank thee for the universal ritual of sharing—sharing of love, and...Prayer | By Bettye A Doty | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Family, Friendship, Joy, Love, Table Grace, Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies
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We gather this morning in celebration and appreciation. We rejoice in those true treasures and gifts of life that are beyond any price. We rejoice especially in the children of our church, for their music and their words, for their laughter and their song, and for the bright joy of their very...Meditation | By Sheldon W Bennett | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children's / Religious Education Sunday, Flower Communion
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Trees of Earth let bud your leaves let them open wide let them gently fall in annual cycle. Let fallen leaves make soft bed for Jesus at his birth and may leafy humus make renewal of our humanity....Meditation | By Andrew M Hill | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas
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Thou who art the soul and heart of life, save us from fear—the fear of days and nights yet to be, the fear of the known and the unknown, the fear that builds high walls around our spirits and our lives, the fear that closes in and envelops us, the fear that nibbles at the edges of every...Meditation | By David A Johnson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Compassion, Courage, Despair, Discernment, Doubt, Faith, Fear, Freedom, Hope, Palm Sunday, Salvation -
The stone has got to be rolled back from the tomb again and again every year. Roll up your sleeves. He is not coming back, you know....Meditation | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Easter
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Spirit who is all things to us; Presence in which we live and move and breathe and have our being: What a gift to be here together, sharing our food, our spirit, ourselves! We ask no blessing upon this food, nor upon ourselves, because the blessing is always here, if we but pay attention....Prayer | By Elizabeth L Greene | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Food, Friendship, Gratitude, Table Grace