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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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Displaying 1 - 20 of 124

  • Four Advent candles in a row in front of a deep black background. All four are lit. The third from the left is pink, and the others are purple.
    Prayers to be said on the four Sundays of Advent while lighting the Advent candle wreath.
    Prayer | By Elizabeth Mount | March 29, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Hope, Joy, Love, Patience, Peace, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A hand holding a piece of chalk against a blank green chalkboard, as if poised to write. The hand is pale-skinned, and the part of the arm we see is clothed in a white shirt with cuffs.
    Let this year be a clean slate for new beginnings.
    Prayer | By Addae Ama Kraba | March 29, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Courage, Creativity, Empathy, New Year, Peace, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A silhouette of six or seven young people against a cloudless sky, which ranges from pale blue near the bottom to deep blue at the top of the image.
    Spirit of the divine masculine, grant us the strength to nurture in ourselves, and in every young person we have the privilege to know, the gifts of patience, curiosity, and compassion.
    Prayer | By AJ van Tine | February 29, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Character, Children, Coming of Age, Coming-of-Age, Community, Gender, Growth, Identity, Youth/Teens, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A frozen soap bubble rests on snowy ground, with the sun setting on the horizon in the background.
    As we repent in full body and form, secure our names and the generations to come as you have done through time. God who blessed the womb of life, save us once again.
    Prayer | By Julie Yeeun Kim | January 21, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Faith, Generations, Interdependence, Patience, Redemption, Salvation, Wisdom, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A Black man's hand is holding a mirror, in which we see a partial reflection of his face. Our point of view is from over his shoulder, so in the foreground we see a slightly out-of-focus portion of the back of his head.
    In this heartbreak what we carry forth is our humanity in newly revealed form—our hearts tender and delicate.
    Prayer | By Vanessa Titang | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Community, Compassion, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Healing, Trauma, WorshipWeb, 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
  • An elderly person with short curly white hair adjusts their glasses so they can wipe away tears with a tissue.
    May you be tender and gentle with yourself
    Prayer | By Katie Sivani Gelfand | September 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Love, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Stress, Transformation, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Seen from slightly behind, a person with long hair gestures with their hands while talking.
    May we view each other as partners, comrades, friends on the journey
    Prayer | By Christin Green | August 1, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Business Meetings, Community, Living Our Faith, Purpose, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A tiny infant is cradled gently against the chest of a man, seen from the neck down, with muscular arms.
    We hold space for all that Father's Day may mean to us.
    Prayer | By Amy Jones | April 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Children, Father's Day, Fathers, Parents, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A low angle photo to give an unusual perspective of the wild daisies which appear every spring along the West Coast in South Africa.
    May we open our hearts to the abundance of creation.
    Prayer | By Vanessa Rush Southern, Alyson Jacks | August 8, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Connections, Earth Day, Easter, Hope, Joy, Vernal Equinox, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A single powerful red-orange flame glows in the darkness around it.
    Hold us gently as we gather closer together, comforting each other, healing each other.
    Prayer | By Vanessa Titang | May 26, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Disaster or Crisis, Transcendence, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A spring of green leaves rests on a cut of tree trunk, revealing many rings of growth
    May we reconnect to our life-giving, breath-freeing connection
    Prayer | By Leslie Takahashi | May 1, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Beauty, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Nature, Responsibility, Climate Justice, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Against a blue sky, a branch with delicate yellow blossoms.
    Sing in our hearts all the stirrings of compassion for the oppressed, for those who are scared and hurting.
    Prayer | By Nica Eaton-Guinn | March 10, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Compassion, Disaster or Crisis, Justice, Living Our Faith, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Transgender Day of Remembrance, with the multigender icon
    May we find the care in our community to keep grieving and keep loving and keep living.
    Prayer | By Laura Conkle | January 19, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Transgender Day of Remembrance, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • In a sunny church sanctuary, rows of empty red velvet and wooden pews
    We are leaving a space that has been made holy.
    Prayer | By Julie Taylor | January 3, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Ending, Gratitude, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A purple and pink sky, at twilight, with a burning sun setting behind dry, wintry stalks of grain.
    And still, we are grateful.
    Prayer | By Connie Simon | November 22, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Gratitude, Thanksgiving, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A white pillar candle is lit against a dark blue background.
    May we whisper thank you for all that is good in our lives. (Thank you) May we shout thank you! for the abundance of blessings. (Thank you) May we feel thank you, thank you, thank you, deep within our hearts and around us right now. May we be thankful, down to our bones, for this time together....
    Prayer | By Debra Haffner | November 16, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Abundance, Direct Experience, Gratitude, Thanksgiving, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A man in US Navy dress whites stands on the grass in a military cemetery looking at the headstones
    We collectively share the sorrow of those individuals in the armed services who lost their lives in war.
    Prayer | By Jennifer Cottrill | July 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Death, Memorial Day, Military, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A black-and-white photo of an infant, whose hand is holding the gnarled hand of his great-grandmother.
    Breathe in for caregivers of all kinds who give of themselves to make other people’s lives better, more whole.
    Prayer | By Sara Goodman | June 2, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Family, Generations, Grief, Imagination, Mother's Day, Responsibility, Unitarian Universalism
  • the silhouette of a person, taken from some distance, under a bright night sky with the Milky Way stars in bright colors.
    Spirit of Life, spirit of earth, spirit of all that breathes and all that is: we love you.
    Prayer | By Laura Horton-Ludwig | May 3, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Nature, Responsibility, Stewardship, WorshipWeb, Worship