Worship Services
Sunday Services
The Sunday service begins at 12:00 in the Santuary (after the 11:00 Coffee/Conversation in the Chalice Center). This service last about 60 minutes. The service includes hymns, prayers, readings, inspirational music, and a sermon delivered by our Minister. Readings and prayers are taken from all the world's religious traditions. Dress is casual. Please visit our Photos page.
After the Sunday service visitors are invited to join us for lunch at a local restaurant. On the fifth Sunday of the month we have a pot luck meal after the service. There is always plenty to share if you are not able to bring a dish.
Worship (v.) to ascribe worth or value to
Unitarian Universalist services take many forms but always ascribe value to the gathering of the community. As an association we recognize and incorportate into our worship these Souces of Inspiration:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openess to the forces that create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
We also recognize Eastern philosophies, insights from the fine arts, and psychology.
Common elements of Unitarian Universalist worship are:
- Songs and hymns
- Silence and reflection
- Prayers, readings, and poems
- A sermon by a minister or reflection by a member
- Ritual actions like ringing a bell, sharing a greeting of peace, or sharing communion.
Two significant things mark Unitarian Universalist worship
- A congregation's worship reflects its membership. Congregations with Buddhist, Christian and Jewish members will celebrate different feasts than congregations with Christians, Hindus and Humanists, for example. Every congregation is free to set its order of Service and choose its calendar of observances.
- Unitarian Universalist ministers enjoy freedom of the pulpit. This means they are expected to speak responsibly on their conscience and they can choose any topic at any time without direction from a Board, District or the Denomination.
Regular observances in the UUCO calendar
- New Year's Burning Bowl Ceremony
- Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
- Evolution Sunday
- Easter (including an exclusively Christian Service)
- Mother's and Fathers' Days
- Denounce Torture Sunday
- Circle Blessing Sunday
- Samhain
- Interfaith Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Occassional observances in the UUCO calendar
- Setsubun
- Vesak
- Yom Kippur
- Hanukkah
Annual Series of Member Reflections
Once a month a member offers the Sunday sermon on one of the UU Association's Seven Principles of the Sources of Inspiration. Our principles are listed below:
Seven Principles We Covenant to Affirm and Promote:
- The inherent worth and diginity of every person;
- Justice, equity, and compassionn in human relations;
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.