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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

Search Words for Worship Services

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10

  • A candid black-and-white shot at night, looking through window of nearby pizza parlour. Two workers are seen from behind as they prepare food.
    There is no such thing as unskilled labor.
    Reflection | By Sarah Skochko | August 31, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), America, Compassion, Dignity, Human Rights, Humanism, Labor Day, Secular, Work, Worship
  • A transmasculine gender-nonconforming person and transfeminine non-binary person waking up together in bed
    The road not taken is not a fork. That’s too simple a thought, flipping some coin. Either/or. Nope. It’s not this or that. No or yes. It’s nor/ neither and all of the above and more. The road taken goes every way at once. There. There. They. Them. Go. Now. Live.
    Affirmation | By David Breeden | October 6, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Agnosticism, Coming Out, Dignity, Direct Experience, Gender, Humanism, Identity, Inclusion, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Pride Sunday, Secular, Self-Respect, Sexuality, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Unitarian Universalism
  • A father and son nuzzle each other; the father looking up, holding his son aloft.
    What images comes to mind when I say, “Labor Day”? Chances are you think of the holiday weekend and celebrations with your loved ones, the Federal Holiday, Unions and the cause of a working wage and benefits, maybe the history of the struggle of working people to have a fair share of the profits...
    Reading | By Jennifer Willet | February 5, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Aging, Caring, Community, Compassion, Dignity, Disability, Economy, Education, Generations, Interdependence, Labor Day
  • On a church chancel, children dressed as sheep and cows kneel during a Christmas pageant
    [for 2-3 voices, alternating] On this eve of mystery and magic, let us enter into the Christmas story as if we were there on the holy night. What part will we play this year? Are you the mother, trusting your body to know what to do when the time of birth comes?...
    Opening | By Shari Woodbury | January 21, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Awe, Birth, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Compassion, Dignity, Faith, Family, Hope, Hospitality, Journey, Love
  • an aerial view of a church nave, with empty seats, undergoing renovation
    We, all of us, build houses for our dreams.. The masonry and lumber, glass and tiles, A solid form, wherein we see our hopes, A shelter and protection for our growth....
    Blessing | By Dori J. Somers | October 15, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Building/Space Dedication, Community, Courage, Dignity, Direct Experience, Growth, Home, Hope, Inclusion, Integrity, Love, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Ministry is all that we do—Together Ministry is that quality of being in community that affirms human dignity— beckons forth hidden possibilities, invites us into deeper, more constant, reverent relationships, and carries forward our heritage of hope and liberation. Ministry is what we do...
    Meditation | By Gordon B McKeeman | May 14, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Courage, Dignity, Hope, Installations, Ministry, Ordinations, Relationships, Reverence, Service, Solidarity, Unity
  • Small figurines in period dress, meant to appear as Bob Crachit and family
    Leader 1: This is a special night – Christmas Eve, the night before we celebrate the birth of a Jewish leader whose life and words have changed the minds and hearts of many to the side of goodness, generosity and caring. Leader 2: In honor of that birth, tonight we tell the story of a man whose...
    Script | By Tess Baumberger, Cindy Clarenbach | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Compassion, Conscience, Dignity, Generosity, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    May we light this chalice to honor our past: for Jan Hus, burned at the stake for suggesting that the cup be shared by all; for our Service Committee's earliest days, when its logo enabled the persecuted to find a safe haven. May we light this chalice to endorse our present: for our commitment to...
    Chalice Lighting | By George G Brooks | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Commitment, Dignity, Freedom, Generations, History, Justice, Partner Church Observation, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Vision
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with his arms spread, speaking.
    The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish truth....
    Reading | By Martin Luther King, Jr. | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Christianity, Commitment, Dignity, Justice, Justice Sunday, Love, Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism, Violence
  • A child, lost in thought, leans against a pillar next to a row of Muslims bowing in prayer in a mosque
    Source of Life who is known by many names; Over-turner and illuminator of hearts; We gather with gratitude for the earth and all who journey in it. We give thanks for the interconnectedness of all creation....
    Prayer | By Jessica Vazquez Torres | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Christianity, Dignity, Immigration, Interdependence, Islam, Justice, Justice Sunday, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism