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Displaying 1 - 20 of 27
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Holding people accountable for the impact of their behavior is not revenge; it’s what makes change and growth possible, and no real healing in community can come without it.Reflection | By Kristin Grassel Schmidt | January 13, 2021 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: America, Conflict, Democracy, Disaster or Crisis, Forgiveness, Humanism, Redemption, Responsibility, Seven Principles, Universalism, Worship -
To be a Unitarian Universalist means we’ll never be done with the work.Chalice Lighting | By Erika Hewitt | November 9, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Community, Covenant, Identity, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Seven Principles, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism -
As Unitarian Universalists, our journey is to transform the big and the small, to transform ourselves, and to transform the world.Responsive Reading | By Elizabeth Nguyen | November 9, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Calling, Freedom, Justice, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Seven Principles, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism, Wholeness, WorshipWeb, Worship -
If God’s name is love, then God compels us to resist the fall to sinful violence by pushing back with muscular resolve against the social structures that confine our capacity to care. A universalist God for a tragic era is not a gauzy, hymn-singing force of personal devotion that draws us...Quote | By Nancy McDonald Ladd | February 29, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Anti-Oppression, Commitment, God, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Responsibility, Universalism
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In the Bible, there’s a pretty well-known story about David and Goliath. Goliath, a huge warrior from the side of the Philistines, challenged someone from the side of the Israelites to battle. David was chosen and he knew that even with all of the armor in the world, he would not be able to win...Sermon | By Kari Gottfried | November 7, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: History, Identity, Living Our Faith, Meaning, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Purpose, Revelation, Salvation, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Universalism -
Welcome, you questioners, seekers of Truth with a capital T, pilgrims longing for sanctuary, travelers needing harbor from the storm. Welcome, those who are holding on by a thread, determined breakers of the chains of loneliness and isolation....Welcome | By Rachel Rott | October 27, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Anti-Oppression, Community, Homecoming / Ingathering, Living Our Faith, New Member Ceremony, Universalism -
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 WorshipWebTagged as: Anger, Disaster or Crisis, Fear, Love, Transcendence, Universalism -
"Love, once again, break our hearts open wide." Thanks to Rev. Jason Shelton for providing the sheet music (PDF) for this song.Music | By Jason Shelton | August 13, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Caring, Contemplation, Despair, Empathy, Humanism, Love, Pain, Secular, Strength, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism -
Leader: We know that hurt moves through the world, perpetrated by action, inaction, and indifference. Our values call us to live in the reality of the heartbreak of our world, remembering that: Congregation: “No one is outside the circle of love.” L: We who are Unitarian Universalist not only...Litany | By Erika Hewitt, Susan Frederick-Gray | August 6, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Acceptance, Community, Compassion, Living Our Faith, Love, Salvation, Unitarian Universalism, Unity, Universalism -
We have an absurd amount to learn, or unlearn, about race in this country. America allowed slavery to exist by seeking out personal and regional salvation at the expense of universal salvation. Our country felt better about itself because with the South as the identified patient, it never had to...Reflection | By Nathan Ryan | April 27, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), America, Anti-Oppression, History, Living Our Faith, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Unitarianism, Universalism -
This piece can be read as a meditation, or used as a litany, in which the congregation responds to each line (in unison), "We ask a blessing on this day." In one way or another, each of you was born of a mother. Because we are human, it's likely that your relationship with that mother is, was, or...Litany | By Maureen Killoran | June 3, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Brokenness, Children, Compassion, Conflict, Family, Forgiveness, Healing, Hope, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism, WorshipWeb -
In the newspaper there was a story about a seminary professor in Kansas City who was put on trial by the Southern Baptists, accused of being a Universalist. It's no wonder they were suspicious. He had stated publicly his belief that all people born into the world are children of God....Meditation | By Robert Walsh | January 10, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Challenge, Commitment, Conscience, Courage, Identity, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Responsibility, Stewardship, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism
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December twenty-fourth, The Flaming Chalice (1965). The Unitarian Service Committee adopted the flaming chalice as their logo in 1941. Years later, in 1965, at the West Shore Church in Cleveland, OH the youth led a Christmas service opened by ritually lighting a chalice....Image | By Ralph Yeager Roberts | November 23, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, Christmas Eve / Christmas, History, Identity, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Universalism, Winter Solstice / Yule -
December twelfth, Christmas Day is Clara Barton’s Birthday (1821). Clara Barton, Universalist and founder of the American Red Cross, is a hero of our liberal religious faith. We remember her around the holidays season since she was born Christmas Day, 1821. But in the season when we recall the...Image | By Ralph Yeager Roberts | November 23, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, America, Arts & Music, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Healing, Health, International, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Universalism, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Olympia who had a dream. She dreamed that one day she would grow up to be a minister. But during the 1800s, only men were ministers, so it didn’t seem likely that Olympia’s dream would come true. Olympia, however, continued to dream. Time passed,...Story | By Christopher Buice | April 14, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, History, Judaism, Purpose, Universalism, Women
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“I believe that if, on every Sunday morning before going to church, we could be lifted to a mountain-peak and see a horizon line of six hundred miles enfolding the copious splendor of the light on such a varied expanse; or if we could look upon a square mile of flowers representing all the specie...Quote | By Thomas Starr King | March 31, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Climate Justice, Earth, Earth Day, Nature, Reverence, Unitarianism, Universalism, Wonder
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We all emerge from Dwell within Are transformed by And called back to Love. May your mind be humbled before this Mystery. May your heart grow hopeful by it. May you be sustained by this Love always.Benediction | By Eric Williams | February 27, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Love, Mystery, Reverence, Universalism -
There once was a person named John Murray. He lived in England, and worked as a minister there. The congregation to which he belonged took religion very seriously. They believed in life after death, but they thought that almost everyone was going to have a terrible, horrible time after they died.Story | By Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: History, Universalism
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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 WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Commitment, Community, Faith, Generosity, Hospitality, Inclusion, Kindness, Living Our Faith, Love, Universalism -
In the Unitarian Universalist Church we find inspiration from many different sources. The inspiration for today’s sermon comes from a joke. You may have heard it: Q: What’s the difference between cats and dogs? A: Dogs look at people and say, “They feed us. They give us shelter. They take care...Sermon | By Christopher Buice | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Balance, Buddhism, Diversity, Unitarianism, Unity, Universalism