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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 - 8 of 8

  • Man in silhouette playing a shofar during sunset on Lake Erie
    Breathe in us, with us, and through us as we gather—one in community.
    Invocation | By Kristin Grassel Schmidt | September 22, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Awe, Earth-Centered, Judaism, Nature, Rosh Hashanah, Unity, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A spiral of rainbow-spectrum light
    Voice 1 Welcome, you who approach this time as a journey toward the horizon, the beginning of the next chapter, seeking all of the insights and opportunities the new day offers....
    Invocation | By Lyn Cox | October 25, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Generations, History, Paganism, Prophetic Words & Deeds
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    today is a story day of a man who was loved dying washed with herbs wrapped in scented cloths laid to rest in a cave tomb a rock marking the place a story of followers weeping in surprise when they are told not to be afraid that the rock is rolled away and the cave tomb is empty and somewhere up...
    Invocation | By Lois Van Leer | June 18, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Belief, Christianity, Easter, Hope, Presence
  • light plays on the ripples of water's surface, up close
    It was at a gathering of white women when this gathering of the waters first came to pass. White women in a second wave of gender self-awareness; awakening, connecting, making new meaning, shifting the old ethos. The solidarity of these white women was reflected in the waters each brought, waters...
    Invocation | By Renee Ruchotzke | October 2, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Earth, Gender, Identity, Multiculturalism, Race/Ethnicity, Reconciliation, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism, Water Communion
  • An arc of a wooden wheel, with "Samhain Oct 31" carved into it, along with a bonfire.
    Blessed Lady, Hallowed Lord, Let me hear your Holy Word. When the Veil is thinned tonight, Let me see with Sacred Sight.
    Invocation | By Martha Kirby Capo | August 11, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Earth-Centered, Immanence, Mystery, Paganism, Presence, Reverence, Samhain, Transcendence
  • In front of stone walls, two round trays hold an array of slim, lit candles
    Gather we now into this space, this time when the Wheel turns and the Veil shatters. Gather we now to remember, to grieve, to prophesy, to complete our harvests before the Long Dark comes. Gather we now to tell the Old Stories and sing the Old Songs, to be as we have always been —the Voice of our...
    Invocation | By Andrea Hawkins-Kamper | October 26, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), All Souls Day, Autumnal Equinox, Community, Connections, Día de los Muertos, Earth-Centered, Generations, Halloween, Interdependence, Paganism, Reverence, Sacred, Samhain, Spirituality, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism
  • In front of a wheatfield backdrop, the silhouette of a person holding up an old-fashioned lantern (from a 2011 production of "The Wizard of Oz")
    Note: this was written for a worship service with a Wizard of Oz theme. Come you accidental pilgrims, you who find yourself on a journey of surprise and wonder. Come you who emerge into this place as an act of liberation. Come you who seek a life of mindfulness and a place to test your thoughts.
    Invocation | By Lyn Cox | September 22, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Courage, Diversity, Generations, Homecoming / Ingathering, Inclusion, Journey, Teamwork, Trust, Unitarian Universalism
  • An Eagle Scout, hand raised in salute, reciting the Eagle Scout Oath
    Dear God, Spirit of Life and Love, Creator of the mountains and the forests, It is good to be gathered here on the occasion of N receiving his/her/their Eagle Scout Award. We are thankful for the service he/she/they has/have given to his/her/their troop/crew/ship, community and council. We are...
    Invocation | By Aaron Stockwell Wisman | January 12, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Integrity, Scout Sunday, Service, Teamwork, Work