Girls lighting a chalice at the General Assembly Opening Ceremony.

About the Chalice

A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot), represents the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith. Read more about the history and symbolism of the flaming chalice.

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  • We proclaim with Love on our side: Our bodies are sacred. Our minds are blessed. Our spirits are beloved.
    Chalice Lighting | By Karishma Gottfried | April 24, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Body, Fat Liberation, Grace, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, Sacred, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Illuminate our hearts and the spaces between them in this Sacred Time of unfolding.
    Chalice Lighting | By Tracy Johnson | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Love, Wisdom, Wonder, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • What if sometimes it’s about sparking potential into possibility, and possibility into existence?
    Chalice Lighting | By Lisa Doege | November 17, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Hope, Journey, Justice, Love, Peace, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • As we gather in this sacred moment, the Holy Spirit settles among her people.
    Chalice Lighting | By Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs | October 18, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Christianity, Communion (Christian), God, Love
  • We light this chalice today to illuminate our way toward Love.
    Chalice Lighting | By Melissa Jeter | November 22, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Imagination, Love, Parents, Patience, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Here we gather to celebrate hope, and the infinite possibilities of love.
    Chalice Lighting | By Tom Goldsmith | April 28, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Freedom, Hope, Love, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • As we light this flame, we remember friends and loved ones near and far and we give thanks. As the fire burns brightly, we open our minds and hearts to new ways of being and we feel alive....
    Chalice Lighting | By Leia Durland-Jones | April 17, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Hospitality, Inclusion, Love, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Amidst the swirl of life's challenges, fears, and even moments of crisis, I make time to gaze at the night sky to see the vastness there, And to remember that this moment in time is but a flicker— Not an inconsequential flicker— For what I do and think now does matter. My work, though, is to let...
    Chalice Lighting | By Cindy Terlazzo | January 11, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Balance, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, Integrity, Love, Wonder, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • We light this flame To ignite the sacred power of justice. We light this flame So that it may be a beacon of hope In moments of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and the unknown....
    Chalice Lighting | By Jami Yandle | August 13, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Justice, Love, Power
  • Across the distance, the light from within me shines, sending love to all Across the distance, your light is fuel that warms me and helps to keep my own light burning Together, we keep the flame of community burning bright...
    Chalice Lighting | By Laura Thompson | April 7, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Building Community, Community, Love
  • We light this flame For the art of sacred unknowing. Humbled by all that we cannot fathom in this time, We come into the presence of what we do know, Perhaps the only thing we can ever know: That Love is now and forever The only answer to everything And everyone In every moment.
    Chalice Lighting | By Amy Carol Webb | March 30, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Hope, Humility, Love, Presence, Unitarian Universalism
  • As we light this chalice [this evening], may it serve to give us clarity of purpose and illumine our way as we set about doing the work of this congregation, in commitment, in cooperation, and in love.
    Chalice Lighting | By Viola Abbitt | January 7, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Business Meetings, Commitment, Community, Governance, Humanism, Leadership, Love, Purpose, Secular, Teamwork, Unitarian Universalism, Work
  • Reader 1: Flaming chalice, symbol of our living tradition, we kindle you for light Reader 2: Light in this darkest season of the year Light to reveal the sources of greed and hate among us Light to guide our way forward together Reader 1: Chalice Flame, we kindle you for love Reader 2: Love to ke...
    Chalice Lighting | By Ariel Hunt-Brondwin | November 13, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Hope, Love, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule
  • Oh, divine Love, With the kindling of this flame, may we realize and love our true selves: Our true, round belly selves. Our true, bags under our eyes, selves. Our true, naturally hairy, selves. Our true, wrinkles on our skin, selves. May our self-love help keep our chalice ablaze.
    Chalice Lighting | By Cooper Garrett | May 27, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Body, Compassion, Courage, Dignity, Love, Self-Respect, Shame, Truth, Vulnerability
  • We are a People of Memory. As inheritors of our ancestors’ legacy, we hold their stories tenderly. Gleaning wisdom from diverse journeys; united in hope for the future. Guide us to trust in love as we kindle this flame together.
    Chalice Lighting | By Kimberlee Anne Tomczak Carlson | March 27, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Compassion, Courage, Covenant, Diversity, Faith, Hope, Journey, Living Our Faith, Love, Tradition
  • We light this chalice, the symbol of our faith, knowing that this morning many others across this land and around the world are doing the same. For us and for our far-flung kin it is a light of peace, of justice, and of love....
    Chalice Lighting | By Ben Soule | January 7, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Connections, Faith, Hope, Interdependence, Justice, Living Our Faith, Love, Peace, Sacred, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • My beloved people, I cannot pretend, And so I will not tell you, That everything is okay right now. That there is no reason to be angry, That you must be optimistic Or at peace. I cannot pretend these things, And so I won't tell them to you. But now our chalice is lit, And so all I ask in this...
    Chalice Lighting | By Rev. Molly Brewer | October 10, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anger, Disaster or Crisis, Fear, Love, Transcendence, Universalism
  • We ignite this flame, symbol of our faith, to beckon us into community, warm our hearts with love, and give us a light to follow as we carry our faith into action.
    Chalice Lighting | By Chrystal Hogan | September 14, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 6th Principle (World Community), Community, Faith, Living Our Faith, Love, Unitarian Universalism
  • We light this flame to ignite our hearts and minds— the spark of knowledge that enlightens, the shimmering hope that burns, the blazing love that engulfs our actions, the bonfire of our commitment. We light this flame for those who celebrate themselves who fear who hope who persevere who stand on...
    Chalice Lighting | By Linda lee Franson | August 14, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Anti-Oppression, Coming Out, Commitment, Inclusion, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, Pride Sunday, Unitarian Universalism
  • We light this chalice for mothers and mothering; to celebrate those who have taken on the task of nurturing a young one-baby, child, or youth-into adulthood; to celebrate those who have nourished the light of truth and compassion in growing minds and hearts; to celebrate those who have committed...
    Chalice Lighting | By Claudene (Deane) Oliva | May 4, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Children, Commitment, Education, Family, Fathers, Generations, Gratitude, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, WorshipWeb
  • Love is the aspiration, the spirit that moves and inspires this faith we share. Rightly understood, love can nurture our spirits and transform the world....
    Chalice Lighting | By Maureen Killoran | February 26, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Body, Challenge, Community, Direct Experience, Faith, Generosity, Healing, Love, Mourning, Power, Spirituality, Transformation, Valentine's Day, WorshipWeb
  • Flame of our faith, call us into the community of love and justice this morning and every morning.
    Chalice Lighting | By Cynthia Landrum | November 11, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Challenge, Commitment, Community, Compassion, Courage, Faith, Justice, Love, Tradition
  • We light this chalice, the beacon that calls us: To love To justice To a deepening of the spirit.
    Chalice Lighting | By Cynthia Landrum | November 11, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Calling, Commitment, Community, Conscience, Faith, Growth, Justice, Love, Solidarity, Spirituality, Unitarian Universalism
  • In the bleak and cold winter, We gather ourselves in To light the fire to warm our spirits, To kindle the flame of love and hope.
    Chalice Lighting | By Cynthia Landrum | November 11, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Community, Earth-Centered, Faith, Friendship, Hope, Imbolc / Brighid's Day / Candlemas, Journey, Kindness, Love, New Year, Relationships, Twelfth Night / Epiphany, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule
  • We light this flame As our fervent plea to brighten the dark corners of our hearts; We hold this flame For in it is the promise of warmth for souls grown cold in loss and despair; We kindle this light That we might continue to find comfort in its warmth; strength in its light; holiness in its...
    Chalice Lighting | By S. William Feiss | November 10, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), All Souls Day, Animal Memorial, Death, Día de los Muertos, Forgiveness, Healing, Love, Meaning, Memorial Services, Purpose, Sacred, Samhain, Sorrow, Strength, Truth
  • Reader 1: The word courage comes from the Latin cor, which means heart. According to poet Mark Nepo, the original use of the word courage meant to stand by one’s core: a “striking concept that reinforces the belief found in almost all traditions that living from the Center is what enables us to...
    Chalice Lighting | By Erika Hewitt | October 29, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 6th Principle (World Community), Courage, Covenant, Identity, Love, Power, Purpose, Relationships, Responsibility, Strength, Trust
  • And so we gather, from the ebb and flow of our lives Thirsty for connection to ourselves Thirsty for connection to others Thirsty for connection to the larger life. As we light this chalice May all who gather here be filled: Filled with joy and hope Filled with compassion and love Here, may we be...
    Chalice Lighting | By Gregory Pelley | September 15, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Agnosticism, Body, Community, Compassion, Connections, Direct Experience, Earth, Homecoming / Ingathering, Hope, Humanism, Joy, Love, Nature, Searching, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Water Communion, WorshipWeb
  • Leader: We light our Chalice in honor of all those who have served in our ministry. People: May the Chalice be to us a symbol of the sharing of faith and hope which they have brought. May the flame remind us of the giving of their lives and love upon the altar of service and truth.
    Chalice Lighting | By Peter Scott Lee | May 14, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Faith, Gratitude, Installations, Love, Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Ordinations, Remembrance Day, Sacrifice, Service, Truth, Unitarian Universalism
  • We light this chalice Symbolic of the warmth of community and The brightness that love brings to the world Illuminating our search for justice and peace Light, that force that nurtures all living things Here in our midst in this flame, So tiny and so significant...
    Chalice Lighting | By Debra Faulk | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Love, Peace
  • Birth is a miracle of love and courage, bringing light into the world; Death is a loss of light, but no less an act of courage, For we are born from— and return to— mystery. Source: © Lori Gorgas Hlaban, 2009...
    Chalice Lighting | By Lori Gorgas Hlaban | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Birth, Courage, Death, Ending, Faith, Hope, Journey, Love, Mystery
  • We light this chalice to find inner peace, love for each other, and faith in ourselves. Also, to be welcoming to whomever we meet and kind to all living creatures. So gather around this light of hope as we share this time together.
    Chalice Lighting | By Oberlin UU Fellowship, Oberlin, OH | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Community, Connections, Diversity, Faith, Hope, Hospitality, Love, Peace, Purpose, Self-Respect
  • Let there be light The light of joy, the light of happiness, and the light of contentment May it illuminate our paths and fill our lives with peace And let there be dark For it is from our dark places that we are brought forward Tried and tested And impelled toward growth It is in these places th...
    Chalice Lighting | By Andrew Pakula | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Compassion, Good, Growth, Journey, Love, Peace, Sorrow
  • We light this chalice to celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of every person; To reaffirm the historic pledge of liberal religion to seek that justice which transcends mere legality and moves toward the resolution of true equality; And to share that love which is ultimately beyond even our...
    Chalice Lighting | By Steve Stock | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 6th Principle (World Community), Anti-Oppression, Community, Dignity, Equity, Justice, Love, Mystery, Purpose, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Worth
  • Take from life its coals, not its ashes. Fan the flames of love and justice; join hands and hearts in common endeavor; and there will be no limit to what we can achieve together.
    Chalice Lighting | By Laurel S Sheridan | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Abundance, Activism, Challenge, Commitment, Connections, Justice, Love, Purpose, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Unity
  • Our prophets died for the freedom of faith; We are here in their spirit. We are here to practice and sustain our living tradition; To light a chalice, Claiming for justice The heat and power of fire....
    Chalice Lighting | By Heather K Janules | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Community, Connections, Faith, Freedom, History, Love, Sacred, Tradition, Transcendence, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Universalism
  • Deep calls unto deep, joy calls unto joy, light calls unto light. Let the kindling of this flame rekindle in us the inner light of love, of peace, of hope. And "as one flame lights another, nor grows the less,” we pledge ourselves to be bearers of the light, wherever we are.
    Chalice Lighting | By Gordon B McKeeman | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Calling, Caring, Commitment, Community, Covenant, Hope, Journey, Joy, Love, Peace
  • Blessed is the fire that burns deep in the soul. It is the flame of the human spirit touched into being by the mystery of life. It is the fire of reason; the fire of compassion; the fire of community; the fire of justice; the fire of faith....
    Chalice Lighting | By Eric A Heller-Wagner | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Compassion, Faith, Justice, Love, Mystery, Reason, Reverence, Sacred, Worth
  • At this hour, in small towns and big cities, in single rooms and ornate sanctuaries, many of our sibling Unitarian Universalist congregations are also lighting a flaming chalice. As we light our chalice today, let us remember that we are part of a great community of faith. May this dancing flame...
    Chalice Lighting | By Judith L Quarles | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Calling, Community, Connections, Faith, Hope, Interdependence, Justice, Love, Presence, Unitarian Universalism
  • As frozen earth holds the determined seed, this sacred space holds our weariness, our worry, our laughter and our celebration. Let us bring seed and soul into the light of thought, the warmth of community, and the hope of love. Let us see together, hear together, love together. Let us worship.
    Chalice Lighting | By Laura Wallace | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Community, Earth, Faith, Growth, Hope, Joy, Love, Sacred, Worry
  • (May be read responsively) We light this chalice to affirm that new light is ever waiting to break through to enlighten our ways: That new truth is ever waiting to break through to illumine our minds: And that new love is ever waiting to break through to warm our hearts. May we be open to this...
    Chalice Lighting | By Charles A. Howe | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Birth, Calling, Grace, Growth, Healing, Hope, Listening, Love, Truth, Vision, Winter Solstice / Yule
  • We light our flaming chalice To illuminate the world we seek. In the search for truth, may we be just; In the search for justice, may we be loving; And, in loving, may we find peace.
    Chalice Lighting | By Elizabeth M McMaster | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Justice, Love, Peace, Purpose, Truth, Vision
  • The element of fire represents passion, veracity, authenticity, and vitality. If the chalice is the supporting structure of Unitarian Universalism, then we are the flame....
    Chalice Lighting | By Sarah Lammert | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Commitment, Community, Compassion, Freedom, Living Our Faith, Love, Power, Truth, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability
  • In these hard times, let us look first to the response of love. In the midst of challenge, may our chalice flame bear witness to the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. In the midst of uncertainty, may our chalice be a beacon of encouragement, that our values may guide our choices....
    Chalice Lighting | By Maureen Killoran | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Choice, Courage, Dignity, Integrity, Love, Reverence, Searching, Unitarian Universalism, Vision, Worth
  • During our darkest moments, still, there is hope. When facing our biggest challenges, still, there is hope. When all we can do is put one foot in front of the other, still, there is hope. When we can’t find the way out, still, there is hope. When all we can do to help is hold someone’s hand as...
    Chalice Lighting | By Nadine McSpadden | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Compassion, Despair, Empathy, Hope, Humanism, Interdependence, Journey, Love, Secular, Solidarity, Strength
  • We light our chalice, symbol of our faith, For truth, sought through a questioning heart and an attentive mind; And for love, pursued through obstacles inside and outside our own human heart; And for forgiveness, and all it entails— The place where truth and love meet and merge.
    Chalice Lighting | By Vanessa Rush Southern | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Courage, Forgiveness, Healing, Hope, Judaism, Living Our Faith, Love, Relationships, Searching, Truth, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability, Yom Kippur
  • In a world filled with the darkness of ignorance, let us bring the light of reason In a world filled with the darkness of despair, may we share the light of hope In a world filled with the darkness of hate, let us shine the light of love...
    Chalice Lighting | By Douglas John Traversa | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Compassion, Despair, Faith, Fear, Growth, Healing, Hope, Inclusion, Love, Reason
  • We light our chalice this morning, grateful for the love that we experience in this beloved community. May the flame light the way for all who seek such abundance.
    Chalice Lighting | By Dawn Skjei Cooley | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Abundance, Caring, Commitment, Community, Gratitude, Inclusion, Journey, Love, Searching
  • All that we have ever loved And all that we have ever been Stands with us on the brink Of all that we aspire to create: A deeper peace, A larger love, A more embracing hope, A deeper joy in this life we share.
    Chalice Lighting | By Leslie Takahashi | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Creativity, Growth, Hope, Identity, Individualism, Joy, Love, Peace, Vision
  • We light this chalice to kindle the fire of commitment to spread our beloved faith, proclaim the Good News that all are worthy and all are welcome, that God is Love and none shall be left behind. May we carry this flame to all we encounter, letting our lives shine with its glow.
    Chalice Lighting | By Paul Sprecher | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Commitment, Community, Faith, Generosity, Hospitality, Inclusion, Kindness, Living Our Faith, Love, Universalism
  • We light this chalice to honor the memory of those who have come before us, kindling flames of wisdom in dark times, willing to challenge orthodoxy even at great personal risk, giving us a legacy of freedom and a love of truth, A legacy that warms our hearts and lights our paths.
    Chalice Lighting | By Paul Sprecher | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Commitment, Courage, Freedom, Generations, History, Journey, Love, Truth, Wisdom