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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"The soul is made of love and must ever strive to return to love. Therefore, it can never find rest nor happiness in other things. It must lose itself in love. By its very nature, it must seek God, who is love." —Mechthild of Magdeburg, 13th century Germany For twelve years, Daisy has been the...Reflection | By Jake Morrill | March 8, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Animals, Christianity, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, God, Imagination, Lent, Love, Nature, Presence, Sacred, Searching, Unitarian Universalism -
Kristin Kany wrote this multi-voice poem in 2016 to be read by a group of "diverse moms." I am mother Mother 1: I am Mother Mother 2: I am Mother Mother(s) 3: I am Mother Mother 4: I am Mother Mother(s) 5: I am Mother Mother 6: I am Mother I am Mama, I am Mommy, I am Chinese, Jewish, African,...Affirmation | By Kristin Kany | March 7, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Body, Children, Direct Experience, Family, Generations, Growth, Humanism, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Relationships, Sacred, Secular -
In every worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, you’ll hear diverse voices, sources, and viewpoints. The congregation is committed to being a multicultural community, and honors that commitment in every service in a measurable, noticeable way: at least one worship...Leader Resource | By Christian Schmidt, Kristin Grassel Schmidt | March 7, 2017 | From WorshipLabTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Diversity, Humanism, Identity, Indigenous American, International, Multiculturalism, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity, Seven Principles -
What's going to happen? Will everything be ok? What can I do? In these days we find ourselves, too often, Stuck with these questions on repeat: What's going to happen? / Will everything be ok? /What can I do?...Opening | By Gretchen Haley | March 4, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Community, Courage, Fear, Hope, Humanism, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Presence, Purpose, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
“Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” —Alice Walker I had finally begun to relax—a bit. We were en route to Pennsylvania. My friend, a formal part of our “framily,” was visiting. We decided a visit to a crayon factory was the perfect winter outing for toddlers. The day was clear...Reflection | By Robin Tanner | March 1, 2017 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Atheism, Conflict, Contemplation, Direct Experience, Faith, Humanism, Humility, Personal Stories, Searching, Secular, Wisdom -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a time when particular songs get sung; one of them is "Lift Every Voice and Sing." It gets sung in school, in church, and at various MLK day celebrations or over the course of Black History Month....Reflection | By Aisha Ansano | February 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), America, Anti-Oppression, Arts & Music, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Direct Experience, History, Juneteenth, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Pain, Privilege, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity -
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 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a radical. He was called “the most dangerous man in America” by the FBI and had a 17,000 page FBI file at the time of his death. It wasn’t just KKK members or those in positions of power who disagreed with him or hated him. As Cornel West explains in...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, America, Anti-Oppression, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Direct Experience, History, Humanism, Justice, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Multiculturalism, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity -
Here is where we gather in the presence of the Sacred. Here is where we gather to experience the Holy Here is where, together, we face the unanswerable questions and acknowledge that not knowing is as sublime as it is frustrating....Opening | By Patricia Shelden | February 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Community, Direct Experience, Diversity, Sacred, Unitarian Universalism, Unity -
Blessed are we who gather with open hearts, together, in this space, today. Blessed are we: the chalice-lighters of resistance, justice, love, and faith. Blessed are we: the heretics, the outcasts, the walkers of our own way. Blessed are we: the border-crossers, the refugees, the immigrants, the...Blessing | By Andrea Hawkins-Kamper | February 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Community, Covenant, Direct Experience, Humanism, Inclusion, Multiculturalism, Relationships, Seven Principles, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism -
The blasphemy of body hatred has no place in this temple.Poetry | By Misha Sanders | February 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Beauty, Body, Dignity, Direct Experience, Diversity, Fat Liberation, Humanism, Inclusion, Secular, Self-Respect, Women, Worth -
Prop needed: An oversized pendulum. If this is hard to imagine, wrap yarn around a kickball sized ball and attach it to a long rod. Any weight suspended on a string from a stationary object can be a pendulum. Today, I want to talk to you about SCIENCE! Who here loves science?...Time for All Ages | By Tim Atkins | February 26, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Atheism, Balance, Humanism, Science, Secular, Self-Care -
I've come to view playing—intentionally seeking joy—as a means of radical resistance.Reflection | By Marisol Caballero | February 22, 2017 | From Braver/Wiser -
With whom do you believe your lot is cast? From where does your strength come? —Adrienne Rich Ethical question (although this really happened): You are in a local grocery store. An elderly, poorly-dressed white lady is pushing a cart, moving with obvious difficulty as she adds to her hoard first...Reflection | By Maureen Killoran | February 15, 2017 | From Braver/Wiser -
"What we need is here" is a perfect, simple song by Episcopalian priest Rev. Amy McCreath. Its five words are the closing sentence of a Wendell Berry poem, "The Wild Geese," which inspired Amy to write this tune....Music | By Amy McCreath | February 13, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Arts & Music, Community, Direct Experience, Faith, Humanism, Living Our Faith, Power, Presence, Purpose, Self-Respect, Solidarity, Unity -
“Everything around us and within us is made up of energy particles that are woven together into a universal tapestry. Since everything is connected, there is an intimate relationship between the atomic space around and within me, and the atomic space around and within you — regardless of where...Leader Resource | By Erika Hewitt | February 9, 2017 | From WorshipLabTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Contemplation, Direct Experience, Leadership, Secular, Silence -
Your gifts—whatever you discover them to be— can be used to bless or curse the world. The mind's power, the strength of the hands, the reaches of the heart, the gift of speaking, listening, imagining, seeing, waiting Any of these can serve to feed the hungry, bind up wounds, welcome the...Blessing | By Rebecca Ann Parker | February 9, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Brokenness, Choice, Community, Humanism, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Love, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Purpose, Sacred, Secular, Service, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism -
Over my head, I hear music in the air; over my head, I hear music in the air; over my head, I hear music in the air; there must be a God somewhere. —from "Over My Head," an African American Spiritual When you grow up in New York City, as I did, you'll learn one cardinal rule: to never look up.Reflection | By Daniel Gregoire | February 8, 2017 | From Braver/Wiser -
No matter how weak or how frightened we may feel, we each have gifts that can make a difference in the world. In this coming week, may you do at least one thing to support the broken; to welcome the stranger; to celebrate what is worthy; to do the work of justice and love. Be strong. Be connected.Benediction | By Maureen Killoran | February 7, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Calling, Caring, Challenge, Direct Experience, Hope, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Service, Unitarian Universalism -
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