The Live Oak Worship Ministry will lead us in a celebration of the first harvest, also known as Lammas. Lammas is an earth centered tradition of the August cross quarter – the halfway point between summer solstice and fall equinox. This is a time to give thanks for the abundance in our lives. We empty our symbolic storerooms to make space for what we might then gather in this time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.
Post-pandemic, we are called to embrace a new normal. But how? What role does our UU community and our UU faith play in the emergence of this new way? Led by the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara Worship Team.
Step by step, we are making our way out of this time of constriction and anxiety. It has been hard in countless ways – and there are so many unknowns and unresolved issues all around. But this time has also yielded insights and gifts. Come hear reflections from a few Chalice members about what they have learned and find ways of bringing strength and joy into our shared future.
Most humans are notoriously resistant to change. But as we prepare to reopen and move towards our ‘new normal’ we will encounter change both within and beyond our congregation. In this service, Reverend Nica’s last before her summer break, we explore ways to ride, rather than resist, the waves of change. How might we embrace change as we envision and co-create our new normal.
This Independence Day, a week after our annual UU General Assembly, Rev Nica and Chalice members share stories about what’s going on in our wider faith tradition. Join us to start your July 4th holiday in a spiritually grounded way.
Join us virtually for the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. Recognizing the importance of shared ministry and the many innovative approaches to worship created by congregations during the pandemic, UUA President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick Gray, selected the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis to serve as worship leaders for this year’s GA Sunday Morning Service.
First Universalist has been a model of shared ministry and what it means to put the work of dismantling white supremacy and building anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices at the center of their ministry. They have been on the front lines in support of the Movement for Black Lives in Minneapolis, bringing spiritual care and moral leadership in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police and the important uprisings for justice that followed. Children and families are a vital part of their ministry, and they have been using creative approaches to engage all ages in worship during the pandemic. Their leadership exemplifies some of the best practices for the creativity, spiritual depth, and moral leadership that is possible when we embrace the work of shared ministry rooted in love and justice.
We were going to advocate for Juneteenth to become a national holiday this Sunday. But since this became law on June 17th, we now get to celebrate Juneteenth and learn more about its history and significance. How might we, as Unitarian Universalists, live our values by deepening our commitment to racial justice and equity. Reverend Nica and Ayanna Gaines will share their thoughts. Join us also to honor our fathers this Father’s Day.
In the Unitarian Universalist faith, Bridging is a beautiful right of passage that any youth will look forward to as they graduate from high school. They are being lifted up in praise and shepherded on to the next stage of their life by the loving hands of their congregation. We take this moment to celebrate our youth’s achievements and share in the joyful anticipation of what is yet to come. Please join Rev. Nica Eaton-Guinn and Sam Dickerson as we shine a light on Chalice’s phenomenal graduates of 2020 and 2021.
As things start opening up and we return to life in a more normal way, we explore the importance of grieving what we’ve lost and assessing what we’ve learned. In this way we can make room for our new reality. In this service we get to reflect on our lessons of the last year and how we might build a new future informed by our learning.
In the Pixar animation, Soul, middle school teacher and jazz pianist Joe Gardner has a sudden near death experience that sends him to the Great Before where he is assigned to mentor the little ball of potentiality known as Soul 22. Cynical and ornery, Soul 22 has for eons thus far resisted entering life on earth with all its bittersweet possibilities. Soul 22 is a kind of alter ego for Joe Garner as he weighs the meaning of his own life hanging in the balance. Soul. What does it mean?Is it what you feel when you hear Aretha Franklin or Luciano Pavarotti? Do you have a soul? Are you a soul? Is soul the breath of life, and what does it mean for your journey here and now?
