What to Expect in Worship
We gather together as a spiritual community each Sunday because we need constant reminding of what matters most in life to live more deeply. In a world of heartbreak and dehumanization, our denomination and our community call us to our better selves. Our hope is that through worship we can learn to live with more wisdom, more connection, and more compassion.
Our Worship Services are weekly reflections that weave together our own thoughts and experiences with music and words that inspire, comfort and challenge. We strive to strengthen our capacities to make a difference in our own lives and in the world. We also strive to awaken ourselves to the beauty and wonder that surrounds us each and every day. Finally, we strive to build meaningful connections among ourselves to create true, spiritual community.
Elements of all our Sunday morning worship services include:
- Words of welcome
- Announcements about upcoming events and activities
- Lighting a flaming chalice, the symbol of our UU faith
- Music, both instrumental and vocal
- An activity to deepen our spirituality (see below for more details)
- Recitation of Our Covenant
- Meditation/Contemplation
- An offering, collecting financial donations for the congregation or for justice work in the community.
- Closing circle with song.
Our services are very eclectic. The format and primary spiritual activity vary from week to week but fall into the following broad categories:
Traditional Worship: Traditional worship happens once a month and features a minister who delivers a homily or sermon. On occasion the minister will entertain questions from the congregation. This service includes foundational readings and hymns and follows a format that is similar to many protestant church services.
Contemplative Worship: These services focus on a specific spiritual topic such as Mystery, Love, Faith and Doubt, Gratitude, Creativity, Envy etc. We hear the words of great thinkers on the topic of the day and contemplate how their words relate to our personal and spiritual lives. We share our stories with each other as a means to grow individually and to build community.
En-lite-n-ment Worship: These services have no set format. The primary spiritual activity can include poetry reading, viewing videos followed by discussion or a group activity, dance, or exploring the creative arts. If an activity deepens our connection to one another and our spirituality, we will use it. These services expand the horizons of our spiritual practice beyond the traditional.