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Scorekeeping is about who hurts whom more. In the long-term, no one wins.Reflection | By Anne Griffiths | February 14, 2024 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Commitment, Humanism, Love, Marriage, Men, Psychology, Relationships, Secular, Teamwork, Trust, Women, Work, Worship -
It takes courage to bring our trust forward and invite another person to meet us there. This sometimes sure, often shaky, surrender is an opportunity to discover something deeper than the confines of our individual experience.Reading | By Adaku Utah | January 21, 2024 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Compassion, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Freedom, Growth, Interdependence, Nature, Relationships, Trust, WorshipWeb, Worship -
We need to summon the courage to cross the bridge...Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 15, 2023 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Blame, Courage, Forgiveness, Judaism, Personal Stories, Relationships, Responsibility, Trust, WorshipWeb, Worship -
If I’m not cultivating an open heart and watching for the helpers, the teachers, and the angels, I may miss them when I need them the most.Reflection | By Sue Ferguson | May 24, 2023 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Caring, Character, Compassion, Direct Experience, Gratitude, Hospitality, Trust, Worship -
Preparation: acquire a wooden block tower building game (similar to Jenga ©). If possible, consider getting a jumbo version of game because its size lends itself to more visibility for the congregation and more space for more kids to participate. Other supplies: signs or name tags that state...Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | October 17, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #8thPrinciple, Compromise, Conflict, Covenant, Relationships, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship -
I wasn’t really “born this way.” I grew this way.Reflection | By Heather McDuffee | September 28, 2022 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: #Pride, Choice, Coming Out, Friendship, God, Identity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Marriage, National Coming Out Day, Transformation, Trust, Worship -
We cannot begin to find ourselves without love.Opening | By Elizabeth Mount | April 12, 2021 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Children, Connections, Father's Day, Humanism, Interdependence, Love, Mother's Day, Parents, Relationships, Secular, Trust, WorshipWeb, Worship -
In these days of so much uncertainty, may we choose honesty over comfort, love over complacency, and truth over convenience.Reflection | By Rachel Lonberg | September 30, 2020 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: #COVID19, Children, Direct Experience, Discernment, Fear, Parents, Secular, Trust, Truth, Worship -
The harder things are to say, the more necessary they are to say.Quote | By Adrienne Maree Brown | September 29, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Conflict, Direct Experience, Discernment, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Respect, Responsibility, Trust, Truth, WorshipWeb, Worship
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A lot of us feel like our lives should have come with instructions. Or maybe they did, but we lost the only copy a long time ago.Reflection | By Elea Kemler | February 12, 2020 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Brokenness, Caring, Change, Direct Experience, Friendship, Humanism, Interdependence, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Trust, Vulnerability -
Coming out to my family was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I realized that my choice was one of life and death, and I needed to let my secret out in order to continue living, and to do so authentically.Reflection | By Adrian L. H. Graham | October 9, 2019 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Atheism, Coming Out, Community, Courage, Direct Experience, Humanism, Identity, Integrity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, National Coming Out Day, Pride Sunday, Secular, Trust, Truth -
Under the right circumstances, playing with fire is a delight—imagine being gathered round a firepit as the crackling flames invite us to sing, dance, and roast a marshmallow or two. Our chalice also invites us to play, although with ideas rather than with marshmallows. The flame encourages us to...Chalice Lighting | By Melanie Davis | October 6, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Humanism, Joy, Playfulness, Secular, Trust, Unitarian Universalism -
Can we just sit here for a minute, Holy One? Some of us are carrying pretty heavy stuff. . . . . . And we could all use a moment of peace. To count our breath. To quiet the noise. To let our spirits be still. . . . . . Perhaps as we sit, we will count our blessings. Name them, one by one. . . . . .Prayer | By Lori Walke | May 16, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Contemplation, God, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Trust -
When we can gently hold things steady, change comes from within; that’s where the real growth happens.Reflection | By Alix Klingenberg | May 15, 2019 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Change, Community, Direct Experience, Growth, Humanism, Integrity, Leadership, Secular, Trust -
Spirit of Life and Love, Justice and Peace, The spectacle of foolish pride is ever before us in these times. Indeed, pride has seldom looked so foolish in our lifetimes. So many people in positions of public trust and responsibility have lost their authority and our confidence spectacularly. And...Prayer | By Paul R Beedle | April 27, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Authority, Character, Compassion, Democracy, Discernment, Forgiveness, Humility, Trust -
Ours is a spiritual community where we find and forge connection. We trust in the strength of our mutual support, knowing how it has sustained us, day after day, year after year. Today we hold in the light: _________ and we lift up: _________ Now you are invited to recall the names of persons or...Meditation | By Kelly Murphy Mason | March 27, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Compassion, Faith, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Joys & Concerns, Love, Sorrow, Trust -
We pause as the path of the sun reverses, seemingly holding its place for a moment of turning. Let us delve into the gifts of darkness at the winter solstice. We follow curiosity and contemplation down into the cold earth, taking a journey to the world below the surface....Meditation | By Lyn Cox | March 17, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Contemplation, Creativity, Earth, Earth-Centered, Growth, Healing, Journey, Trust, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
This message for all ages involves two people, one of whom will need to bring forward a broken mug, plate, or bowl. These two leaders might hold a private rehearsal so that, in worship, this feels natural and playful — and yet meaningful....Time for All Ages | By Jaelynn Pema-la Scott, Erika Hewitt | December 16, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Beginnings, Brokenness, Community, Direct Experience, Healing, Humanism, Integrity, International, Living Our Faith, Love, Relationships, Responsibility, Secular, Trust -
It’s been said that it’s easier to untangle a string of lights if you plug them in; it’s no different for people. Humans, just like strings of lights, are wired for connection.Reflection | By Erin Powers | December 13, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Advent, Awe, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Connections, Direct Experience, Humanism, Mystery, Relationships, Secular, Trust, Vulnerability, Wholeness -
The things to do have been done, well, for the most part. The people we need are in place, almost. We are ready, or as ready as we will be. Bless this most perfectly imperfect beginning. May we find the right people to do the right things as we go....Blessing | By Kari Kopnick | November 15, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Acceptance, Awe, Beginnings, Community, Direct Experience, Humanism, Interdependence, Journey, Leadership, Letting Go, Secular, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Wonder -
Spirit, I would really rather not learn this. Didn’t think I needed to. I thought someone else could do it. Thought a leader was coming to do it. Thought the young people could do it. Or the elders could do it. Or the professionals. Or I don’t want to learn it ‘cause it means letting go of...Prayer | By Elizabeth Nguyen | November 10, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Acceptance, Growth, Letting Go, Mystery, Searching, Transformation, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Wonder -
Here we are in our circle again. A circle of vision and reflection, A forum for deciding and empowering. Here we are at the base of another bridge, another space spanning the shores of today and tomorrow. Beckoning us to cross the chasm, one day at a time....Opening | By Shari Woodbury | August 11, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Business Meetings, Calling, Community, Humanism, Installations, Leadership, Secular, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Vision -
What if everything always went according to plan? At first, we might accomplish more of what we think we need to accomplish. And it may seem less stressful, at first, being able to anticipate what happens next. But after a certain amount of time (and that amount would vary person to person) the...Opening | By Krista Flanagan | July 4, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Challenge, Direct Experience, Letting Go, Mystery, Patience, Stress, Trust -
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious...Reflection | By Marisol Caballero | May 17, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Acceptance, Direct Experience, Faith, Letting Go, Mystery, Trust -
Spirit of Hope, settle into our bones on this Easter morning. Remind us once again that the dawn light is never a gamble; If there ever was a sure bet, it is the sunrise. Even stones crumble even grief changes and shifts and death is a mystery that is certain but not solid; But hope is like the...Prayer | By Julia Hamilton | April 14, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Agnosticism, Awe, Earth, Earth-Centered, Easter, Faith, Hope, Mystery, Nature, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Wonder -
This prayer is for all. For all who are fearful about the economy; about the fate of our country; health care for yourself or your children. For all whose heart aches at the injustices being done to others in our name. For all who fear for the survival of the planet. For all who fear whether they...Prayer | By Maureen Killoran | March 14, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Fear, Hope, Presence, Spirituality, Trust -
We light the Hanukkah candles in wonder, joy, and gratitude, each candle a miracle. When the Holy Temple was rededicated at the time of the Maccabean liberation battle, only one day’s worth of oil remained, yet it burned for eight days so we light candles in remembrance....Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | January 18, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Awe, Freedom, Hanukkah, Judaism, Trust, Wonder -
“‘God did it’ isn’t an explanation,” said Joseph. He got no account for the baby’s chromosomes, No description of the mechanism that Transmuted the divine shadow into royal blood. “‘The devil made me do it’ would have sounded better to me,” said Joseph, Though it never did him...Poetry | By Jim Burklo | December 6, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Faith, Family, God, Love, Mystery, Parents, Trust -
All that we have been separately and all that we will become together is stretched out before and behind us like stars scattered across a canvas of sky. We stand at the precipice, arms locked together like tandem skydivers working up the courage to jump. Tell me, friends: What have we got to lose?Meditation | By Leslie Ahuvah Fails | October 6, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Beginnings, Body, Calling, Commitment, Courage, Homecoming / Ingathering, Installations, Interdependence, Judaism, Ordinations, Playfulness, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Trust, Unitarian Universalism -
Note: this was written for a worship service with a Wizard of Oz theme. Come you accidental pilgrims, you who find yourself on a journey of surprise and wonder. Come you who emerge into this place as an act of liberation. Come you who seek a life of mindfulness and a place to test your thoughts.Invocation | By Lyn Cox | September 22, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Courage, Diversity, Generations, Homecoming / Ingathering, Inclusion, Journey, Teamwork, Trust, Unitarian Universalism -
Gracious God, from Exodus we hear you say, "I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared." You have called us all toward uncertain destinies, to cast our fate into unknown perils, upon paths as yet untrodden....Prayer | By Susan Maginn | September 18, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Calling, Caring, Christianity, God, Service, Trust, Vulnerability -
Blessed is this ground on which we stand. Holy is this place. Holy are the places of memory, the places which have formed us, where we store the icons of success and shattered dreams and gather threads and pieces of what we would become. . . Holy are the places of memory....Meditation | By Maureen Killoran | June 3, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Change, Direct Experience, Faith, Gratitude, Home, Journey, Purpose, Spirituality, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Unity, Wholeness, WorshipWeb -
To the Weaver of Molecules, the Spinner of Stars the Impulse that gives birth to the Universe, to the Earth, to Me In the deepest, darkest night of my wintered soul I wrap myself in the blanket of my sadness and grief, pain and suffering, doubts and concerns, fears and questions, and look out fro...Meditation | By Cynthia Frado | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Agnosticism, Depression, Direct Experience, Growth, Healing, Imbolc / Brighid's Day / Candlemas, Indigenous American, Meditation Practices, Mourning, Sadness, Secular, Transcendence, Transformation, Trust, Twelfth Night / Epiphany, Unitarian Universalism, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb
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O God of many names, the personal and mysterious, We have come to a quiet time, an interior place, a place for the deepening of spirit, the enrichment of soul. We seek to know ourselves by knowing you....Prayer | By Katie Kandarian-Morris | October 29, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Coming Out, Faith, Integrity, Mystery, Trust, Vulnerability
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Reader 1: The word courage comes from the Latin cor, which means heart. According to poet Mark Nepo, the original use of the word courage meant to stand by one’s core: a “striking concept that reinforces the belief found in almost all traditions that living from the Center is what enables us to...Chalice Lighting | By Erika Hewitt | October 29, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 6th Principle (World Community), Courage, Covenant, Identity, Love, Power, Purpose, Relationships, Responsibility, Strength, Trust -
As we listen to the blessing of music, May we know this ending As more than a time of goodbye. May the warmth of this community and the memory of our chalice flame sustain our hearts and encourage our minds, as we engage the blessings of life's challenges and joys. The service has ended. Your...Benediction | By Maureen Killoran | August 10, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Arts & Music, Community, Trust, Unitarianism -
Torn and confused, lonely and enraged, I greet the new day with suspicion. Spirit of Life, show me the gate to healing. May I find in my hands the tools to craft a way through the pain. When even those tools fail me, may other hands reach out....Prayer | By Jane E Mauldin | June 3, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Healing, Pain, Solidarity, Strength, Trust, Weakness -
Our locks tell us a lot about our lives. Locks of all kinds hold my attention because of a dream I had when I was thirteen. In the dream a gray-haired woman in a white coat sat behind a desk. I knew she was me, far in the future. Behind her on the wall was a cross-stitched sampler with a motto. I...Meditation | By Meg Barnhouse | May 28, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Class, Courage, Fear, Meaning, Purpose, Race/Ethnicity, Relationships, Trust, Vision, Vulnerability -
I have learned to trust those who are witnesses rather than gurus, those who express their confusion as well as their knowledge, and those who share their suffering along with their joy.Quote | By David O. Rankin | May 28, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Humility, Joy, Suffering, Trust, Vulnerability, Wisdom
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First Reader: We come to you with our hopes and our fears. Will you lead us in building a welcoming religious community, tolerant and appreciative of our differences, loving and compassionate of heart, courageous and independent in spirit? Ministers: We will....Responsive Reading | By Phyllis L. Hubbell | May 14, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Authority, Commitment, Community, Installations, Leadership, Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Relationships, Responsibility, Service, Trust
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Love is knotted and gnarled, like an old tree fighting with the wind, like branches too brittle for their own good, like roots that relentlessly inform how deeply we can trust and how freely we can forgive.Quote | By Jan Carlsson-Bull | April 26, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Forgiveness, Love, Strength, Trust, Weakness -
When my youngest child was a baby, the sweetest part of my day was putting David to sleep. At fifteen months he had a demanding schedule. There were toilet paper rolls to unravel, dressers to empty, bookshelves to clear, trash baskets to dump on the floor, papers to tear, pans to bang, books to...Meditation | By Barbara Merritt | March 9, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Buddhism, Children, Direct Experience, Love, Mothers, Peace, Self-Care, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Weakness, Wisdom
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My high school years were speckled with trust walks. In my Unitarian Universalist youth group at the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor, each year, the incoming freshmen were given blindfolds and a partner. They were led out into the dark, with only hands on their shoulders to guide them. When...Reading | By Rianna Johnson-Levy | March 9, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Autumnal Equinox, Beauty, Change, Death, Direct Experience, Growth, Letting Go, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Youth/Teens -
The question is not, “What happens when we die?” Nobody really knows. The real question is, “What happens when we stop living?” The stoicism we face on a daily basis is a symptom of a larger illness called a dually-dulled life. Our lives can be hypnotized by the monotonous commutes,...Reading | By Nathan C. Walker | February 24, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Belief, Calling, Challenge, Change, Character, Direct Experience, Easter, Gratitude, Homecoming / Ingathering, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Respect, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Worth, Yom Kippur
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We take time to remember The ancestor’s journey Lit by a thousand stars What the wilderness taught them “Blessed art thou oh lord” Trust in the path Celebrate with joy What might the wilderness teach us Where can we pray to our thousand stars To feel our own life’s blessings To know our own...Chalice Lighting | By Sara Eileen LaWall | February 18, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Generations, Joy, Trust, Unitarian Universalism
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Holy One who has given us the breath of life, Today we remember To breathe deeply To rest To take in To pause before we act… And then to take in another deep breath poised on the edge And risk jumping in Risk taking action Risk speaking up Risk using the gifts we have been given So that at the en...Prayer | By Tamara Lebak | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Courage, Direct Experience, Purpose, Trust, Vulnerability
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To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk exposing our true self. To place our ideals—our dreams—before the crowd is to risk loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to...Reading | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Balance, Failure, Hope, Love, Secular, Trust, Vision, Vulnerability
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Written during the February 2014 Teacher Development Renaissance Module, Pacific Southwest Liberal Religious Educator Association (LREDA) chapter. Minister: This morning we dedicate our Religious Education teachers who have been called to minister to our children, to our future. Without them to...Ritual | By Alison Crotty, Marci Beaudoin, Nancy Jasa, Sarah Roberts | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Children, Generations, Leadership, Trust, Youth/Teens
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In his book, Facing Death, Averil Stedeford recounts the following story about a woman who was diagnosed with a terminal illness: Mrs. N. was a very particular housewife who felt she should clean her home every day. She did not entertain often, for it was such an effort; everything had to be...Sermon | By Helen Lutton Cohen | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Aging, Death, Fear, Trust
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Overview: Infuse beads with spirit in a slow deliberate ritual...then bead them on to a ribbon. We think for a moment, then pass them to a friend for the weekend to hold and care for! Theme or Background: General, friends, Friday night at a con bonding and trust. Materials involved: Four special,...Complete Service | By Alex Rollin | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Friendship, Service, Trust, Youth/Teens