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An unlit chalice on a church altar

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.

LEADER RESOURCE 2 Rituals to Welcome a New Child
a medieval window from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, depicting the Nativity
Islamic prayer beads or Subha inside the Süleymaniye Moque (Istanbul).
An altar filled with candles, photos, and flowers

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  • A flock of pigeons in flight, seen from below, against the background of a pale blue sky.
    There is room here for each and every one. Come in. Be among us.
    Welcome | By Shari Woodbury | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Community, Hospitality, Inclusion, Searching, Worship
  • Close-up image of several blades of grass coated in small ice crystals. The sun is visible between the blades, and the crystals create a small rainbow.
    Let us open all our senses and let our synapses spark one connection after another.
    Welcome | By Shari Woodbury | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Birth, Child Dedication, Children, Connections, Joy, Playfulness, Wonder, Worship
  • Three orange and black monarch butterflies on a lavender blossom, surrounded by other lavender blossoms
    Welcome, all who seek renewal in a weary world.
    Welcome | By Shari Woodbury | December 11, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Connections, Friendship, Generations, Hope, Interdependence, Worship
  • An overhead view of an orange and red burst of flame against a deep black background
    Let us remember that we are not alone until we light this flame next time.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Ben Atherton-Zeman | December 11, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Community, Connections, Relationships, Worship
  • A sketch of Mary, with a crown of stars and a fist raised. Around her are the words "Cast down the mighty" and "Send the rich away"
    The Magnificat is a courageous and subversive song of praise; a call to social justice.
    Reflection | By Laura Dobson | December 6, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Activism, Advent, Anti-Oppression, Christianity, Courage, History, Justice, Multiculturalism, Worship
  • A vibrantly orange and crimson sky, at sunset, with the silhouette of an evergreen tree in front of it.
    Love this world, she whispers.
    Poetry | By Rebecca Ann Parker | November 30, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Beauty, Brokenness, Earth, Love, Wholeness, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder, Worship
  • A woman with graying hair and medium-dark skin holds a molecule model in her hands standing in front of a classroom whiteboard with chemistry notations written on it. She's smiling at a student, seen from behind, who is raising their hand.
    I encouraged my students to question authority, especially my authority, because only rarely can we recognize our biases without help.
    Reflection | By JD Stillwater | November 29, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Body, Humanism, Humility, Imagination, Reason, Science, Searching, Secular, Wonder, Work, Worship
  • A Black woman with short-cropped hair helps an older woman walk down stairs.
    Building relationships requires the risk of being open and curious.
    Reflection | By Melissa Jeter | November 22, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Community, Compassion, Connections, Healing, Humanism, Love, Mental Health, Relationships, Secular, Trauma, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • A prism of light, creating a rainbow effect, gleams amid tree trunks and evergreen needles on a sunny day.
    The path of repentance is one that can help us not only to repair what we have broken, but to grow in the process of doing so.
    Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    A person is not entitled to forgiveness if they haven’t done the work of repair.
    Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Forgiveness, Judaism, Reconciliation, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    The work of repentance demands curiosity, care, and a willingness to face hard things with bravery and honesty.
    Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Conscience, Courage, Reconciliation, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    A script for commissioning an affiliated community minister.
    Ritual | By Elizabeth Harding, Susan Frances, Eileen Wiviott | November 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community Ministry Sunday, Covenant, Leadership, Ministry, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    What if sometimes it’s about sparking potential into possibility, and possibility into existence?
    Chalice Lighting | By Lisa Doege | November 17, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Hope, Journey, Justice, Love, Peace, Worship
  • A person holds an open Qur'an in their hands, with beautiful calligraphy visible, as they sit on a green rug.
    “Verily with hardship comes ease...” (Quran; 94:5-6)
    Chalice Lighting | By Summer Albayati | November 16, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Compassion, Hope, Islam, Justice, Oppression, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Atonement is, in the framework of my tradition, something that happens in connection with the divine.
    Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Forgiveness, Judaism, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We need to summon the courage to cross the bridge...
    Reading | By Danya Ruttenberg | November 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Blame, Courage, Forgiveness, Judaism, Personal Stories, Relationships, Responsibility, Trust, Worship
  • From above, a person with light brown skin, wearing jeans and an olive shirt, plays an electric keyboard.
    Holy Reconciler, help us make peace with each other.
    Reflection | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | November 15, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Arts & Music, Conflict, Division, Friendship, Peace, Politics, Relationships, Secular, Worship
  • A delicate pink flower on a white background, with a prism of light reflecting underneath
    We pray for those with power to create peace
    Prayer | By Lara Cowtan | November 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Disaster or Crisis, Peace, Violence, War, Worship
  • U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Richard Hetrick, an aviation safety officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, oversees Marines conducting Foreign Object Debris (FOD) walk at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., June 7, 2021.
    We did what humans frequently do: we created a ritual.
    Reflection | By Seanan R. Holland | November 8, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Ethics, Humanism, Military, Spiritual Practice, Teamwork, Work, Worship
  • An illustration of a blue hand holding small red hearts and "planting" them as seeds. The dark blue ground is sprouting red hearts growing on dark stalks. The message says "Seeds for the new year: an on-demand worship collection for UU congregations" and the url "UUA.org/2024"
    WorshipWeb offers you a set of worship resources to welcome 2024.
    November 2, 2023 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Worship