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democracy, today we will love you aliveBenediction | By Lucas Hergert | March 3, 2023 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Democracy, Humanism, Justice, Secular, Seven Principles -
It is now, when we are called to act on our values, not to hide, not to fear, but to be bold and loud.Opening | By Tania Márquez | October 19, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Character, Courage, Direct Experience, Humanism, Justice, Living Our Faith, Responsibility, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship -
Life is political, not because the world cares about how you feel, but because the world reacts to what you do.Quote | By Timothy Snyder | September 27, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Activism, America, Democracy, Justice, Meaning, Politics, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship -
Our conversations about the history of our country—the actions of our ancestors—can be made new and relevant and understandable. We can and must have these conversations.Reflection | By Heather Rion Starr | June 17, 2020 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Activism, America, Children, Direct Experience, Generations, History, Humanism, Parents, Race/Ethnicity, Responsibility, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
Deep in the shadow of night, down near the crossroads and cemetery gates, with bitter liquor and cigar smoke wafting, I greet you. Clad in white, upon the floor before shrines, following the names of the Ancestors being uttered, I greet you. You are the sacred and righteous rage of my people.Prayer | By Byron "Tyler" Coles | June 2, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Anger, Awe, Direct Experience, Generations, Indigenous American, Meaning, Power, Race/Ethnicity, Relationships, Secular, Wonder -
I once saw a little sign, carved in wood, that read, “There is only the hard way.” Many of us have been harmed by theology that told us that suffering was a sacrifice that would bring us closer to God. Many of us were told that our suffering would redeem us, even when we knew that actual...Reading | By Elizabeth Nguyen | November 14, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Humanism, Integrity, Interdependence, Justice, Living Our Faith, Privilege, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Redemption, Sacrifice, Secular, Seven Principles, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism -
Oh you You rebel You queer and wayward child You abandoned and listless You angry and forgotten You brown and black and indigenous You homeless and impoverished You dreamer You warrior You are not alone here You have never been alone Not in this place, not in this time Not in the whole of history...Poetry | By Anna Geoffroy | August 12, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Activism, Anger, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Humanism, Justice, Justice Sunday, Politics, Secular -
People of color—and other marginalized people—can’t just want things to be different. It has to be everyone wanting things to be different for everyone.Reflection | By Rayla D. Mattson | May 29, 2019 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Direct Experience, Humanism, Purpose, Secular -
When I say go in peace, I don’t mean “go in mindless oblivion.” When I say go in peace, I don’t mean “go without challenging yourself or others.” When I say go in peace, I don’t mean “go in utter ease and comfort.” When I say go in peace, I mean “go in peace, seeking justice.”...Benediction | By Jim Magaw | May 6, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Challenge, Commitment, Community, Compassion, Courage, Humanism, Justice, Love, Peace, Secular, Service -
Let this banner be a symbol of hope, A blanket of protection for those who need it, And a cape of power for those who must be empowered. Let this flag be a standard of our conviction to embody all of these things, And to be the change we will upon the world. Let the will we weave to empower and...Blessing | By Alex Swift | August 3, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Activism, Commitment, Compassion, Courage, Healing, Hope, Humanism, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, Power, Pride Sunday, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
People sometimes ask: Is Pride a protest Or a party? And the answer is Of course Yes. And why not? Why not Rejoice as we resist Dance as we demand change Celebrate as we create community that delights in All of who we are? So bring all of that With you this morning....Opening | By Hannah Roberts Villnave | June 12, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Anti-Oppression, Community, Humanism, Joy, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Pride Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Solidarity, Strength, Unitarian Universalism -
When we say, "Save the rainforest," we don’t mean that we cease to honor the mighty cedars or the reaching pines. We mean that one particular piece of a deeply sacred whole is more at risk than others, and that this risk, this threat, is worthy of our very bravest actions. So it is with black...Quote | By Nancy McDonald Ladd | April 9, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Activism, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Humanism, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Wholeness -
This service was written by Rev. Clyde Grubbs and Mary Jane Holden, and adapted by Erika Hewitt. It uses readers—as many as ten, plus the Worship Leader—to tell the story of the Civil Rights movement as it unfolded over the course of a decade. This story was designed to be read while photos were...Script | By Clyde Grubbs, Mary Jane Holden, Erika Hewitt | January 4, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, History, Humanism, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Multiculturalism, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Solidarity -
Failing to use a microphone is a form of exclusion. “When I’m excluded, I feel weary, frustrated, and invisible."Leader Resource | By Erika Hewitt | August 31, 2017 | From WorshipLabTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Activism, Aging, Anti-Oppression, Body, Direct Experience, Disability, Humanism, Inclusion, Limitations, Multiculturalism, Secular -
Spirit that runs through us all, help me to remember all the ways in which I am connected to others.Reflection | By Aisha Ansano | August 16, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Activism, Agnosticism, America, Atheism, Commitment, Community, Democracy, Direct Experience, Hope, Humanism, Interdependence, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Solidarity -
As we enter another week of uncertainty in the world, let us remember that there is only one side – that of humanity, and planet Earth. May we pray for peace; may we raise our voices with our elected officials and engage as we can in acts of resistance; and may we remember to take very good care...Closing | By Debra Haffner | August 12, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Direct Experience, Fear, Hope, Living Our Faith, Love, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
My stomach turned when I first heard the term "white supremacy" used to describe the culture of Unitarian Universalism and our institutions. But I've reconsidered that response. I understand the pushback: we’ve been trained to see white supremacy as an overt expression of racism, replete with...Reflection | By Krista Taves | April 28, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Activism, Anti-Oppression, Courage, Direct Experience, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
The 7 Jobs Capitalism Asks of All of Us: 1. Measure Self Worth by Work: Don’t believe in the inherent goodness of people. Instead decide that everyone’s worth is only as much as they achieve. 2. Accept that Oppression is the Norm: This starts with adultism the moment we are born and conditions...Reading | By Talia Cooper | April 20, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Arts & Music, Character, Direct Experience, Healing, Integrity, Relationships, Secular, Self-Respect -
Holy One, known by many names and beyond all names—Spirit of Life, Spirit of Love, Spirit of Community, Spirit of Justice: We ask your blessings on the people who have been called to lead the community in which we live and work and play. Help them as leaders to not ask first “How do we fix...Prayer | By John Saxon | April 6, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Community, Democracy, Humanism, Inclusion, Leadership, Secular, Service, Unitarian Universalism
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No matter what tactics and methods racial justice activists use, the general response of society will be a collective head-shaking and tsk-tsk-ing — because what people are actually complaining about are not the specific tactics that are being used in the struggle for racial justice, but that the...Reading | By Aisha Ansano | February 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Anger, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Equity, Humanism, Justice, Multiculturalism, Oppression, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Solidarity -
The road that lies ahead of us is a long one, and the pace of progress will sometimes feel glacially slow. Never forget that glaciers over time can carve out grand canyons and great lakes. Moving tectonic plates can rise up mountains over millennia, or they can explode awe-inspiring volcanoes in...Affirmation | By Israel Buffardi | February 7, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Agnosticism, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Earth-Centered, Hope, Humanism, Patience, Progress, Secular -
These are anxious days. Hair-pulling, hand-wringing days. We are bombarded from all sides with new and unprecedented developments. Grave threats to our national values and institutions on one hand, and countless calls to action on the other... and then the flood of critique and analysis. Whose...Meditation | By Jennifer Johnson | February 7, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Balance, Challenge, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, Grace, Secular, Self-Care, Winter -
It's in one tiny moment in time / for life to shine to shine Burn away the darkness You've got one tiny moment in time / for life to shine to shine To burn away the darkness I will be light. — “I Will Be Light” by Matisyahu About six months ago, I got a new tattoo. It’s a lit match on my...Reflection | By Sean Parker Dennison | February 1, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Activism, Anger, Anti-Oppression, Arts & Music, Despair, Direct Experience, Humanism, Identity, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular -
May you be safe. May you be free from all harm. As the road or skies carry you toward your fellow pilgrims, may you sense the presence of those who travel with you in spirit, whose hopes and hearts are tucked into your pockets, who name your journey’s purpose as sacred. May you encounter...Blessing | By Erika Hewitt | January 10, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, America, Anti-Oppression, Connections, Courage, Democracy, Direct Experience, Diversity, Human Rights, Humanism, Journey, Living Our Faith, Secular -
If ever there were a time for a candle in the darkness, this would be it. Using a spark of hope, kindle the flame of love, ignite the light of peace, and feed the flame of justice.Chalice Lighting | By Melanie Davis | December 22, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Calling, Despair, Hope, Justice, Justice Sunday, Peace, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Worry -
If I were to wish you peace, it would not be for long. It would be peace to rest, to reflect, to make ready for the coming day, that the full force of your creativity and love might be released and shared. I do wish you peace.Benediction | By Bill Hamilton-Holway | December 22, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Commitment, Humanism, Living Our Faith, Meaning, Peace, Purpose, Secular, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism -
In the face of hate, We answer the call of love.Responsive Reading | By Julia Corbett-Hemeyer | December 7, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Equity, Human Rights, Humanism, Indigenous Peoples Day, Justice, Justice Sunday, Living Our Faith, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Multiculturalism, Pride Sunday, Secular, Seven Principles, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, United Nations Day, Vision -
Please join me in a litany of solidarity. Many of us face oppression, or our loved ones face oppression, and we fear that oppression will worsen....Litany | By Catie Scudera | November 10, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Disaster or Crisis, Humanism, Interdependence, Justice, Privilege, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Secular, Seven Principles, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism -
I got out of bed this morning because of all those who had to get out of bed before me: Martin and Coretta, the day after his home was bombed. (What did they tell the children?) My father, every day of his young life in Lowndes County, Alabama....Meditation | By Theresa Hardy | November 10, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, America, Anti-Oppression, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Despair, Disaster or Crisis, Generations, History, Hope, Humanism, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity, Responsibility, Secular, Self-Respect
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Someone called me a "bleeding heart liberal." It was not intended as a compliment. However, I will always consider it one of the biggest compliments of my life. My heart bleeds for the underdog. My heart fights for those who can't fight. My heart rejoices in seeing others overcome adversity. My...Meditation | By Sara Sutherland Dean | November 8, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Character, Compassion, Courage, Direct Experience, Empathy, Humanism, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Love, Secular, Solidarity -
On this sacred day of choosing—with gratitude to those who entrusted us with this honored task, who struggled and suffered that we might have the power to choose—may we choose well. May we choose love over fear, wisdom over cleverness, courage over cowardice, life over death, kindness over...Prayer | By Amy Zucker Morgenstern | November 7, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, America, Democracy, Discernment, Generations, Humility, Living Our Faith, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
Love is patient Love is kind It does not envy It is not proud Love bears all things We know these words, use these words when we refer to one person loving another. Love looks different when we relate to systems. Love looks different in the face of injustice....Meditation | By Julie Taylor | November 4, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Commitment, Direct Experience, Justice, Living Our Faith, Love, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Work -
I have a voice. It is a small voice, perhaps, but it will not be silenced. When you call for black people to be beaten, and excluded, and even removed—I will say no. When you attempt to silence Latinx voices—I will say no. When you mock the disabled and threaten the oppressed—I will say no.Reading | By Amy Petrie Shaw | September 29, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Anger, Anti-Oppression, Character, Commitment, Democracy, Direct Experience, Justice, Limitations, Nonviolence, Oppression, Secular -
I know sometimes you get cranky, And sometimes your tea gets cold Before you can drink it. Sometimes The news is too much. The resistance Seems too little. That's real. But we are Here. Imperfect and together and reaching. You can hold my hand if you want. I washed It with soap. It's OK. In this...Poetry | By Julián Jamaica Soto | September 26, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Compassion, Connections, Direct Experience, Friendship, Hospitality, Relationships, Secular, Solidarity -
Did you know that there are trillions of little tiny creatures living inside your bodies? They’re called microbiota, and they're SOOO tiny that to them, you and your body… are like a planet. To my microbiota I am Planet [your name]. You are Planet [name of child present]. You are Planet [name of...Time for All Ages | By Carolyn Fisher | August 10, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Body, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Humanism, Nature, Responsibility, Secular, Climate Justice -
After the Hosannahs have all been shouted, After anguished moments in the garden have been spent, After “take this bread and eat, take this wine and drink,” After betrayal with a kiss, After hands washed and 39 lashes, After seven last words and “he breathed his last,” After crucifixion and...Litany | By Joshua Mason Pawelek | March 28, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Christianity, Commitment, Easter, Justice, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Secular, Solidarity -
Most of us Unitarian Universalists are here because we felt welcome here — at last. Some of us were too agnostic somewhere else. Some of us weren’t vindictive enough somewhere else. We were too working-class somewhere else. We were too lesbian somewhere else. We were too nerdy somewhere else,...Reading | By Kenny Wiley | September 1, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Activism, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Identity, Inclusion, Multiculturalism, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Unitarian Universalism
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This chalice burns with twin flames. The first flame burns for those who seek and defend the right to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning so that each person may live according to conscience in a democratically elected society. The second flame burns for the defenders of freedom,...Chalice Lighting | By Tracy Bleakney | March 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, America, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Democracy, Freedom, July 4th, Justice Sunday, Memorial Day, Oppression, Power, Responsibility, Rights, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb -
Quote | By Anonymous | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Activism, Failure, Progress, Secular