Ending War – Honoring the Principled Warrior

The relationship of Unitarian Universalism (UU) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to the military is complex and as lengthy as the history of the United States. While the UUA and Unitarian Universalism is generally pacifist, UUs have and do serve in the military. The UUA has supported wars in the past. On Memorial Day we remember UUs in uniform who perished, and honor UUs present and past for their contribution by bringing UU Principles and Sources to bear in one of the least humane theaters on earth – that of armed conflict, potential or engaged.

Learn About the UUA and the Military – Watch this module from the soon to be released Unitarian Universalist Military Ministry curriculum: https://uuacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/videos/military-ministry-excerpt-cynthi… Read this excellent history of the evolving relationship between of UUs and the UUA to the military, “Embattled Faith”, by Neil Shister from the Summer 2003 edition of UU World Magazine. Read “Unitarian Universalists in the Military”, presented at the 2005 UUA General Assembly. Read “Once a Rarity, UU Military Chaplains Increasing”, by Don Skinner in the Spring 2013 edition of UU World Magazine Visit the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) Unitarian Universalist Military Ministry (UUMM) including information and resources for GLBTQAI and the Military, overseas deployed military and returning military. From Skinner House Books – 

Bless All Who Serve – (A pocket-sized and durable little book of readings and songs from many faith traditions, ancient and modern, plus reflections by veterans and military chaplains. Speaks to themes of commitment, courage, patriotism, freedom, strength and service. Reflection topics include fear of injury and death, grief, peace and violence, hope and despair, separation from loved ones and honoring the fallen.)

Call for Submissions

Second Edition of Bless All Who Serve

A Unitarian Universalist Military Meditation Collection A Skinner House Books Project

We are pleased to announce a call for submissions for a second edition of Bless All Who Serve, a UU collection of meditations, prayers, reflections, and readings for military chaplains, service members, veterans, military families, and all who minister in military-connected communities.

The original collection has served as a meaningful resource for UU military chaplains and others seeking words of grounding, care, courage and hope in settings shaped by service, sacrifice, grief, resilience and community. The second edition will renew the collection for the present moment, lifting up a broader range of voices, identities, experiences and theological perspectives within Unitarian Universalism.

We invite submissions that speak to the lived realities of military life, service and ministry, including:

• Deployment, separation, and homecoming

• Courage, fear, and moral injury/complexity

• Grief, loss, remembrance, and honoring the dead

• Spiritual resilience and grounding in difficult times

• Justice, peace, conscience, and the complexities of service

• Blessings for ceremonies, rites of passage, and daily use

• Prayers or meditations for pluralistic, interfaith, and secular settings

Submissions may include original prayers, meditations, blessings, chalice lightings, short reflections, poems, or ritual language. Pieces should generally be brief enough to use in worship, small groups, counseling, memorial services, military ceremonies, or personal spiritual practice.

Submission Guidelines: 

Submissions should be 55 words or less for prose, or 54 lines or less for poetry, not counting the title and byline. The poetry line count does include blank lines.

Submissions of original work or accurately credited published work by others are both welcome.

Authors of published submissions will receive an honorarium of $100-$200.

Submissions due 9/1/26.

Form for submissions HERE

Questions may be directed to: 

The editorial team: Rev. Bret Lortie, Rev. Dr. Rebekah A. Savage, and Mary Benard at blessall@uua.org

In this second edition, we hope to gather words that can accompany those who serve, those who wait, those who remember, those who grieve, and those who seek spiritual nourishment amid the demands of military life. We seek pieces that are honest, spacious, spiritually grounded, and deeply humane.

May this renewed collection bless all who serve, always.

War Zone Faith – (Army chaplain and UU minister George Tyger has seen and experienced things that many of us cannot fathom on his deployment to Afghanistan : naked children throwing rocks at him in the street, a playground in the middle of a Taliban graveyard, and incredible violence, anger, loneliness, and fear. Tyger reflects on his faith, prejudices, and his privilege, and shares the unique perspective gained while serving and ministering in a war zone.)