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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 101 - 120 of 1062

  • A worn, chipped statue of Mary, pictured from the shoulders up, with a weary expression.
    Each Advent, my empathy for Mary’s situation returns.
    Reflection | By Taryn Strauss | December 8, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Advent, Children, Choice, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Discernment, Women, Worship
  • Ask yourself, in your heart: What or who are you grateful for?
    Meditation | By Susan Frederick-Gray | November 23, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Body, Connections, Gratitude, Spiritual Practice, Thanksgiving, 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
  • Every day offers us, yet again, the chance to experience our own Divinity and spiritual Transformation.
    Affirmation | By Paul Stephan Dodenhoff | November 17, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Easter, Good Friday, Unitarian Universalism
  • A young teen lies on their bed, eyes closed, listening to music on headphones. A guitar lies on the bed next to them.
    Spirit of Life who dwells before and between and beyond all words… we open ourselves to you.
    Reflection | By David Glasgow | November 17, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Anti-Oppression, Arts & Music, Coming Out, Courage, Direct Experience, Friendship, Identity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Pride Sunday, Secular, Solidarity, 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
  • Sleep will come upon our eyelids and they will not ever be lifted again.
    Poetry | By Jacob Trapp | November 12, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Death, Ending, Memorial Services, Mystery, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A white candle burns, in a dim room, resting near evergreen and pinecone. Twinkly lights are visible in the background.
    Help us to see that for the smallest, the humblest, the least of these burns the brightest star.
    Chalice Lighting | By Mary Shelden | October 28, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • The stub of a lit taper candle burns brightly on a bed of cempasúchil, or Mexican marigolds.
    The dead aren’t really dead; their stories are perpetually being told by the world around us.
    Reflection | By Tania Márquez | October 27, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: All Souls Day, Día de los Muertos, Interfaith, Worship
  • Four members of the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, with their backs to the camrea, are each draped in a traditional Squamish or Lil'wat blanket.
    I was leaving my mom in another world, located far away from mine.
    Reflection | By Mike Adams | October 6, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: History, Identity, Indigenous American, Indigenous Peoples Day, Race/Ethnicity, Worship
  • Six adults sitting in a circle comfort and listen to a seventh person, who appears distressed.
    Somehow, the things that are too much to bear alone are bearable together.
    Reflection | By Elizabeth Stevens | September 1, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Disaster or Crisis, Worship
  • A rust-colored leaf floats on the surface of a pond, and under the surface of the water there are stones and rocks. The surface of the water reflects the hand that dropped the leaf onto the water.
    Watershed moments are turning points, moments that permanently alter an understanding.
    Opening | By Martina Thompson | August 5, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Earth-Centered, Nature, Unitarian Universalism, Water Communion, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A wash of green, blue, and purple light blending together.
    Church is for helping people stay human in the face of inhumane circumstances.
    Audio Recording | By Erika Hewitt, Elizabeth Stevens | August 2, 2021 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Disaster or Crisis, Presence, Self-Care, Trauma, Worship Tips
  • 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 WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Bridging Ceremony, Young Adults, Youth/Teens, 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 hand holds a slide up to the light, on which is a dated image of a woman and man posing outside.
    Sometimes it feels like Father’s Day is more about enshrining a myth than it is about facing the realities of fatherhood.
    Meditation | By Ryan Urie | July 26, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Children, Direct Experience, Family, Father's Day, Fathers, Generations, History, Parents, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • flowers with stone backdrop
    Čapek turned to the beauty of the countryside; to the beauty of flowers.
    Reading | By Teresa Schwartz, David Schwartz | June 16, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Flower Communion, Unitarianism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A neon pink triangle and "Silence = Death" in the glass wall of the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC.
    Help me live in gratitude for the LGBTQ+ ancestors who paved this road we walk and roll on.
    Reflection | By Li Kynvi | June 9, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Activism, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Identity, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Pride Sunday, Worship
  • Autumn_leaf_on_branch
    The words we cast to fill the silence left by one we loved never are enough.
    Poetry | By David Breeden | June 2, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Contemplation, Death, Grief, Meaning, Memorial Services, Silence
  • 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