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.
Search Words for Worship Services
Toggle to filter resultsAvailable filters:
Changing a filter will refresh results (and remaining options) immediately. Searching by keyword or changing the number of items per page requires use of the "Search" button.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 43
-
By giving your church home here a chance to bless your school supplies, you're carrying their good intentions with you when you go to school.Blessing | By Tiffany Sapp | August 4, 2023 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Backpack Blessing, WorshipWeb, Worship -
May we remember that we each carry inside of us a spark of the Divine.Blessing | By Beth Monhollen | July 24, 2023 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Beginnings, Grace, New Year, WorshipWeb, Worship -
As you go forth into this new phase of your life’s adventure...Blessing | By Julia Corbett-Hemeyer | October 18, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Earth, Earth-Centered, Installations, Leadership, Nature, Ordinations -
We bless today all the masculinities with us and within us.Blessing | By Kye Flannery | June 9, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Father's Day, Fathers, Freedom, Gender, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Men, Transformation, WorshipWeb, Worship -
Out of mystery we are born, and mystery receives us when we die.Blessing | By Michelle Buhite | March 24, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Character, Death, Ending, Memorial Services, Mystery, WorshipWeb, Worship -
May the rainbow of love enfold you; may your fluidity never be hindered.Blessing | By Cricket Hall | March 1, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Identity, Inclusion, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Pride Sunday, WorshipWeb, Worship -
When you doubt yourself or feel afraid; when you fail, as we all do at times, remember that spark—always there sustaining and revitalizing you.Blessing | By Rita Capezzi | July 28, 2021 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Bridging Ceremony, Young Adults, Youth/Teens, WorshipWeb, Worship -
We honor the great mystery of the universe, the source of all, which deems everything sacred by its power to unite us...Blessing | By Lorenzo Bassman | January 8, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Hanukkah, Judaism, Unitarian Universalism -
As I go to sleep tonight, Please, love, hug my family tight. With stars and moon so big and bright Love shines round me like a light. As I go to sleep tonight, Please, love, hug my family tight. Can be sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"...Blessing | By Kathleen Green | July 27, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Children, Direct Experience, Family, New Child -
This group blessing is designed to be shared by many voices or read by just one. Alex suggests creating an altar with a chalice and testing supplies (which are then distributed to students as they need them). Speaker 1: We have come to the end of the quarter/semester/year. An end to these classes.Blessing | By Alex Haider-Winnett | June 19, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Bridging Ceremony, Challenge, Choice, Commitment, Direct Experience, Education, Forgiveness, Friendship, Growth, Responsibility, Secular, Wisdom, Worth -
Blessed are the wanderers, Seeking affirmation. Blessed are the worshipers, Praying from closets, Pulpits, pews, and hardship. Blessed are the lovers of leaving – Leaving family and familiarity, Leaving tables Where love is not being served. Blessed are those who stay....Blessing | By HP Rivers | May 28, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Coming Out, Compassion, Diversity, Family, Gender, Humanism, Justice, Justice Sunday, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, National Coming Out Day, Pride Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Sexuality -
Let us imagine for a moment that our lives are like the baskets that our children will use after the service to collect colorful eggs and candy. And as we welcome that imaginative connection, let us pause for a moment to accept a blessing....Blessing | By Lucas Hergert | May 27, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Awe, Beauty, Community, Compassion, Easter, Family, Generosity, Gratitude, Happiness, Joy -
This has been published with "they/their" pronouns; please use the most fitting pronoun in your setting. Claimed by death, we remember [Name]'s life Blessings for a life well lived Blessings for their peaceful departure Blessings for their shared friendships Blessings for their humor and wisdom...Blessing | By Addae Ama Kraba | January 17, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Death, Ending, Gratitude, Grief, Journey, Letting Go, Love, Memorial Services, Sacred, Transcendence -
This work isn’t all prayers and beautiful moments, nor is it laments and trauma. It’s not even both/and, because this work is something greater than you, greater than us, greater than the whole of those we serve. This work is a calling. And we’re doing it. Day after day, night after night,...Blessing | By Andrea Hawkins-Kamper | January 16, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Calling, Challenge, Commitment, Compassion, Courage, Grace, Gratitude, Healing, Installations, Ministry, Ordinations, Vulnerability, Worship -
Let this banner be a symbol of hope, A blanket of protection for those who need it, And a cape of power for those who must be empowered. Let this flag be a standard of our conviction to embody all of these things, And to be the change we will upon the world. Let the will we weave to empower and...Blessing | By Alex Swift | August 3, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Activism, Commitment, Compassion, Courage, Healing, Hope, Humanism, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, Power, Pride Sunday, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
For all the mothers and mother figures The grandmothers, aunts, and extended family members who mother The soon-to-be mothers, the wish-they-were mothers, the never-wanted-to-be mothers, the “it’s complicated” mothers The birth mothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers, stepmothers The “used...Blessing | By Lindasusan Ulrich | August 3, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Children, Community, Direct Experience, Earth, Family, Fathers, Generations, Humanism, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Secular -
You do not have to wear the dress. You do not have to have a party. You do not have to dance the waltz con tu papa. You do not have to accept the gift of your last doll. You can break those traditions. You have right of passage into adulthood simply for being you. We are thankful that you...Blessing | By Raquel V. Reyes | July 16, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Change, Children, Coming-of-Age, Community, Family, Identity, Integrity, International, Quinceañera, Transformation, Youth/Teens -
We carry bags with us throughout the week for many reasons. (If you have a bag with you, and you want to have it blessed, please bring it forward, send it forward with a helper, or lift up your bag when you hear me describe you.) Some of us take books and homework to school Some of us bring our...Blessing | By Erika Hewitt | August 28, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Backpack Blessing, Children, Community, Courage, Direct Experience, Journey, Love, Playfulness, Presence, Solidarity, Strength, Unitarian Universalism, Work -
We offer blessings for life and the end of life. Blessings for the dying. Blessings for the caregiver, holding love and carrying burden. Blessed is the Body. Youth claimed by death. Elder claimed by death. Blessed is all creation moving toward one ending in order to begin again. Let us Bless the...Blessing | By Natalie Maxwell Fenimore | January 1, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Acceptance, All Souls Day, Animal Memorial, Caring, Change, Death, Direct Experience, Empathy, Grief, Journey, Judaism, Letting Go, Love, Memorial Services, Remembrance Day, Secular, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism -
Dearly beloved, the story is told that a man named Jesus dined nearly two thousand years ago among his disciples on the eve of his arrest and crucifixion. Some say that Jesus took bread, spoke of it as his body, broke it into pieces and passed it among them to eat....Blessing | By Barnaby Feder | December 8, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Christianity, Communion (Christian), Community, Earth, Faith, Food, Generosity, God, Gratitude, Hospitality, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality