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

Search Words for Worship Services

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  • Beloved Children of the Oneness of many names, you who cover the land in numbers greater than the stars, I petition you, I pray to you, because you are the fruit of God’s promise to the World; because each of you holds a piece of the truth of all that is; because the vision of Beloved Community...
    Prayer | By Jan Taddeo | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Justice, Justice Sunday, Multiculturalism, Peace, Reconciliation, Reverence, War
  • In the pagan tradition, which is grounded in a respect and reverence for the natural world, calling upon the four directions is the usual way to begin any ceremony. Each direction is associated with an element of the natural world, and represents some part of our human nature as well....
    Meditation | By Julia Hamilton | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Autumnal Equinox, Earth, Earth-Centered, Imbolc / Brighid's Day / Candlemas, Nature, Paganism, Spiritual Practice, Summer Solstice, Vernal Equinox, Winter Solstice / Yule
  • I am always in a bit of a shock when December 1st arrives on the calendar. I always feel like there should be at least another week beyond Thanksgiving before I can even contemplate the next holiday....
    Reading | By Cynthia Frado | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Advent, Birth, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Compassion, Hope, Mindfulness, Unitarian Universalism, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder
  • Tonight in this community, we have shared stories, sung carols, opened our hearts to the beauty of music. Tonight we have turned to one another, lighting each other’s candles in the dark. Tonight we have dared to hear a message of hope spoken once again against the challenge of the world. It is...
    Benediction | By Maureen Killoran | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Caring, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Community, Courage, Unitarian Universalism
  • Mary: Hi! Are you on the way to the hill country, too? I’m going to the hill country. I'm on my way to see my cousin Elizabeth. I can’t wait to tell her what happened: the Angel Gabriel came to me and said that I’m going to have a baby, and that I should name him Jesus. The angel said, “He...
    Script | By Lyn Cox | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Children, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Family, Mothers, Parents
  • Many adults are finding mindfulness, centering, and calming through coloring and doodling....
    Image | December 17, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • Sheet Music (PDF) - In the darkness of the winter, quiet hearts beneath the sky, we are waiting for the daystar and a holy newborn’s cry. Friends and family here have gathered, gathered here from near and far, sharing hearts and...
    Music | By Ruben Piirainen, Suzelle Lynch | December 16, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Advent, Awe, Children, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Family, Hope, Love, Salvation, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder
  • Image | By Cynthia Landrum | December 15, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Identity, Playfulness, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism
  • Original version in English by Tracy Bleakney, traducción en español por Theresa Soto A child journeys far from home Fearful and brave, in need of safe harbor. Guided by this chalice, may we seek to understand the causes of flight. Like the comfort of a candle flickering in a window of darkness,...
    Spanish | Chalice Lighting | By Julián Jamaica Soto , Tracy Bleakney | December 15, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Children, Compassion, Dignity, Hospitality, Humanism, Immigration, Journey, Justice, Unitarian Universalism
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 10, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Caring, Compassion, Hospitality, Immigration, International, Islam, Justice, Relationships
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 10, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Community, Hospitality, Islam
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 10, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Caring, Compassion, Hospitality, Immigration, International, Islam, Justice, Seven Principles
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 10, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Hospitality, Islam
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 9, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: America, Anti-Oppression, Compassion, Hospitality, Immigration, International, Islam, Justice
  • 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 WorshipWeb
    Tagged 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
  • We are called today, from the midst of pain and challenge, we are called to praise the world. From a world that appears broken, we are called to praise life’s moments of joy and grace. From time that seems to freeze in ongoing exchanges of platitudes and blame, we are called to reach out to those...
    Opening | By Maureen Killoran | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Community, Direct Experience, Grief, Healing, Justice, Pain
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, America, Anti-Oppression, Compassion, Immigration, Justice, Multiculturalism
  • Image | By Jennie Freiberger | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Identity, Living Our Faith, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism
  • Image | By Maryah Converse | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 6th Principle (World Community), America, Compassion, Immigration, Inclusion, Interdependence, Justice
  • In a world so filled with brokenness and sorrow It would be easy to lose ourselves in never ending grief, To be choked by our outrage To be paralyzed by the enormity of suffering, To feel our hearts squeeze tight with hopelessness....
    Meditation | By Alice Anacheka-Nasemann | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Brokenness, Despair, Hiroshima Day, Hope, Justice, Justice Sunday, Love, Meditation Practices, Peace, Terrorism