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 Book of Life is open before us. It tells stories of sadness and happiness, despair and hope, stagnation and change, and a peaceful stillness that transcends both. May you be written in the Book of Life....Closing | By Amy Zucker Morgenstern | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Forgiveness, Freedom, Judaism, Letting Go, Rosh Hashanah, Transformation -
Each day I am newly reminded of my unworthiness—a dozen thoughts misspoken; another day when the good I do falls short of the good that I could do; myriad small interchanges; moments of sharing that strain to the breaking point my desire to be generous, helpful, and kind; months of careful work...Meditation | By Elizabeth Tarbox | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Body, Brokenness, Earth, Earth-Centered, Healing, Nature, Unitarian Universalism, Wholeness, Worth -
I spent some time this weekend with an old friend, a dentist. She's considering buying her own practice, but wonders if she could retain the current patients and attract new ones. She wonders if the office staff would like her, or befriend her too much, or resent her, or desert her; she wonders...Meditation | By Jane Rzepka | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Courage, Faith, Fear, Living Our Faith, Secular, Wholeness -
On sabbatical in East Africa, I heard a story of a people who believe that we are each created with our own song. Their tradition as a community is to honor that song by singing it as welcome when a child is born, as comfort when the child is ill, in celebration when the child marries, and in...Meditation | By David S Blanchard | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Beauty, Character, Children, Direct Experience, Individualism, Mystery, Prophetic Words & Deeds -
When Jesus was baptized the spirit descended upon him like a dove and God said, “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.” It must have been a great feeling, but it didn’t last long. The next thing Jesus knew, the nice spirit that had descended like a dove became aggressive and drove him...Meditation | By Sarah York | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Challenge, Change, Christianity, Despair, Solitude, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism
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"You want to do what?" her friend said. "But you can’t, you can’t, what difference could you make. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard!" "But if someone doesn’t do something, how many more people will be killed, maimed or starve to death because of the war?" Emily answered. "But two...Story | By Denise Tracy | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), History, Peace, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Unitarianism, War
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"What do you want for your birthday?" the father asked his daughter. "Do you want a doll?" She wrinkled her nose and scrunched her eyes and thought. "No." "A tea set?" "A pony?" "No, Father, I have a year to think. I want this year to be a special year, to remember." "All right....Story | By Denise Tracy | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Generations, Love
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We are whole, even in the broken places, even where it hurts. We are whole, even in the broken places, the places where fear impedes our full engagement with life; where self-doubt corrupts our self-love; where shame makes our faces hot and our souls cold. We are whole, even in those places where...Meditation | By Beth Lefever | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Brokenness, Self-Respect, Shame, Wholeness, Worth -
Overview: A Soulful Sundown worship on abundance, exploring the interwoven nature of emptiness and fullness Theme or Background: spiritual abundance and the cyclical paradox of emptiness and fullness Materials Involved/Altar: set in our usual way with fabric and strips....Complete Service | By UU Church of Berkeley, Kensington, CA | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Caring, Direct Experience, Limitations, Transformation, Wisdom
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Overview: New Year Ritual or Transition Ritual Theme or Background: Burn an effigy to welcome the new year, or any major transition....Complete Service | By Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, Young Adult Group | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Earth-Centered, Letting Go, Life Transition, Regret, Transformation, Youth/Teens
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Overview: Lead people in a reflection of where they are, or where they have just been. Then turn personal dreams into community dreams. Theme or Background: To look at our dreams for the future, and make those dreams collective dreams, Based on the most famous line Dr. Martin Luther King's most...Complete Service | By Jonathan Craig | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Community, Connections, Direct Experience, Hope, Secular, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism, Youth/Teens
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Overview Appropriate for up to 20 people. Everyone comes into the space, and there is a box waiting with instructions for taking worship "out of the box" Theme or Background A boom box, readings, altar materials, etc. are contained in a box in the middle of the room....Complete Service | By Sonya Sukalski | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Letting Go, Limitations, Playfulness, Unitarian Universalism, Youth/Teens
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Overview: spontaneous themed worship, to explore the forces of Chaos. Theme or Background: Chaos Materials involved: chalice, readings. E.E....Complete Service | By Carolyn Croissant Clay Dewey | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Courage, Fear, Letting Go, Mystery, Wholeness
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Overview: Organize a discussion and develop a relationship with the local or regional School of the Americas Watch (SOA) organization dedicated to addressing the military school in Geogia run by the US Army and held responsible for violent, repressive and corrupt leadership training of Latin...Complete Service | By Joseph Lyons | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: International, Justice, Nonviolence, Peace, Violence, War
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Overview: An awesome involving activity that helps people to answer those tough questions about Unitarian Universalism (UU). Gets people to open up and lets everyone learn about each other. Not to mention it's a lot of fun! Theme or Background: The theme is explaining your UU faith and heritage.Activity | By Barbara Wells ten Hove | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Faith, Playfulness, Religion
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Overview: Infuse beads with spirit in a slow deliberate ritual...then bead them on to a ribbon. We think for a moment, then pass them to a friend for the weekend to hold and care for! Theme or Background: General, friends, Friday night at a con bonding and trust. Materials involved: Four special,...Complete Service | By Alex Rollin | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Friendship, Service, Trust, Youth/Teens
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Overview: Like the maypole tradition this worship involves a circle dance that weaves a fabric of many colors. We just leave out the pole! Theme or Background: Fun, dancing, interdependent web, different colors make the weave. Materials Involved: An 8 foot non-elastic ribbon for each participant.Complete Service | By Alex Rollin | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: May Day / Beltane
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Overview A great worship to remind you of what the deeper emotion of love means to you. Doesn't take too much preparation. Theme or Background Revisiting past Love in our lives Materials Involved Paper, markers, tape....Complete Service | By Duncan Metcalfe Eric Loftman | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Love
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Please join me in a spirit of prayer or meditation as you are moved. Blessed and holy night, silent night, full of truths too awesome to bend into words, we sit in the glow of ages, wound round stories that teach us some of what it means to be human, and some of what it means to see God. The...Meditation | By Anya Sammler-Michael | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christmas Eve / Christmas -
While most of us have heard the term, Winter Solstice, we don't necessarily know what it means. Many years ago, when I first started celebrating the solstice, a scientist explained it to me in a way that made sense. Learning from him, I wrote a reflection on the solstice that gives his scientific...Meditation | By Barbara Wells ten Hove | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Winter Solstice / Yule