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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Displaying 61 - 80 of 233

  • As we kindle this the flame, we honor and remember Those who have passed into the mystery. Their brightness lives on in our vision; their courage lives on in our commitments; and their love continues to bless the world through us.
    Chalice Lighting | By Florence Caplow | October 31, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Connections, Death, Generations, History, Humanism, Mystery, Samhain
  • Under the right circumstances, playing with fire is a delight—imagine being gathered round a firepit as the crackling flames invite us to sing, dance, and roast a marshmallow or two. Our chalice also invites us to play, although with ideas rather than with marshmallows. The flame encourages us to...
    Chalice Lighting | By Melanie Davis | October 6, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Humanism, Joy, Playfulness, Secular, Trust, Unitarian Universalism
  • As we light the chalice may our souls become its hearth. We join our hearts to the one great flame of bright compassion, Beloved Community, and fervent justice. May we become lanterns to the world, lighting the way for all.
    Chalice Lighting | By Bear W. Qolezcua | September 7, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Community, Compassion, Hope, Humanism, Justice
  • Recognizing the beauty around us and within us, in voice and spirit, we gather to light our chalice. May we savor the beauty of our abundance and diversity, always cherishing one another and our earth. May we remember to inhale the lushness in life knowing that we are a people of beauty.
    Chalice Lighting | By Kimberlee Anne Tomczak Carlson | August 7, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beauty, Earth, Earth-Centered, Humanism, Imagination, Nature
  • We light our chalice flame For those who lived their lives in closets of shame; For those who furtively visited the bars, where nobody knew your name; For the Stonewall riot—and the fierce transwomen who fought; For the plague, which still takes far too many, too young, too soon. So many gone. So...
    Chalice Lighting | By Lori Gorgas Hlaban | June 6, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Anti-Oppression, Coming Out, Direct Experience, Generations, History, Humanism, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, National Coming Out Day, Pride Sunday, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular
  • 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 light this chalice—symbol of our faith alive in this world— naming our vision of collective liberation, and daring to re-member each other into beloved community.
    Chalice Lighting | By Deanna Vandiver | May 27, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 6th Principle (World Community), Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Community, Faith, Freedom, Hope, Justice, Living Our Faith, Oppression, Vision
  • 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
  • We gather together on this Christmas Eve as fellow sojourners looking for light, for hope, for peace, and for love. We gather as people from many backgrounds, many faiths, many cultures, and many spiritual paths. But as we light this chalice, we gather as one body looking to the Nativity for its...
    Chalice Lighting | By Dan Lambert | December 20, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas
  • Voice One, Elder (with chalice): Across the generations we have carried the flame. We fought the injustice, sang the songs, spoke for truth, and built something lasting. We join in the line and we carry the flame forward. (pass chalice and mic to next speaker) Voice Two, Active Leader (with metal...
    Chalice Lighting | By Douglas Taylor | December 7, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Bridging, Bridging Ceremony, Building/Space Dedication, Coming of Age, Coming-of-Age, Commitment, Faith, Family, Generations, Justice, Leadership, Stewardship, Unitarian Universalism, Unity
  • We gather as many drops, each winding our own path down life’s surfaces and ruts. Here we pool together as a single body, flowing together for a time. Together we are a stream, at times even a river, for with our shared force we can travel toward oceans of meaning and seas of connection.
    Chalice Lighting | By Leslie Takahashi | December 7, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Connections, Earth, Earth-Centered, Meaning, Nature, Playfulness, Unitarian Universalism, Water Communion
  • In recognition of Labor Day, we light this flame to honor all work, Including the work of our hands hands and our backs, in gratitude for all the labors that support our world, and for all those who boldly continue the work of justice, equity, and peace.
    Chalice Lighting | By Florence Caplow | December 5, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Gratitude, Interdependence, Labor Day, Responsibility, Secular, Service
  • We light this chalice to remember the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.
    Chalice Lighting | By DC Fortune | December 5, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Earth-Centered, Hanukkah, Hope, Judaism, Mystery, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder
  • 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 chalice to honor our work, to celebrate our community, and to bring hope and determination to our mission in the wider world....
    Chalice Lighting | By Chrystal Hogan | September 14, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Leadership, Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Purpose, Service, Teamwork, Vision, Work
  • Leader: In this sacred space People: Let us be still in the quiet. Leader: In this sacred space People: Let our hearts open as a butterfly’s wings. Leader: In this sacred space People: May the glow of this light shine within us.
    Chalice Lighting | By Cheryl Block | August 6, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Belief, Community, Compassion, Contemplation, Faith, Unitarian Universalism
  • We light our chalice this morning in the spirit of gratitude, Thankful for years of ministerial service to this church, For celebrations of life and death, dedications, and communions, For leading worship, grounding our congregation in spiritual practice, Helping us to navigate the wonders and...
    Chalice Lighting | By Nick Wilbourn | August 3, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Ending, Gratitude, Leadership, Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism
  • Luz del sol to warm your days. Luz de luna to illuminate your nights. Luz de estrella to steer you through rough oceans. Luz de vela to celebrate your fifteenth year. Esta luz, this chalice is lit for you this day, That it and this community may be a source of light to guide you into adulthood.
    Chalice Lighting | By Raquel V. Reyes | July 12, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Coming-of-Age, International, Quinceañera, Unitarian Universalism, Young Adults