Services

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

This service will be an intergenerational, family-­friendly event featuring music from our children, youth and others, as well as stories and a brief re­enactment of the Nativity. We’ll also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the much-loved Christmas hymn “Silent Night.” (This service will take place Mon., Dec. 24, at 5:00 p.m.)

Dickens, the Unitarians, and Christmas

Charles Dickens, the great 19th-century English novelist had a profound effect on how Christmas is celebrated. Many of his ideas about Christmas and social reform were influenced by his involvement with Unitarianism. This service will explore these ideas and their relevance today.

Blue Christmas Vespers Service

The holidays are not always as cheerful as we might pretend. In fact, this time of year often brings painful memories and a profound sense of loss. This special service is for anyone who is struggling during this holiday season. (This service will take place Wed., Dec. 19, at 7:00 p.m.)

Music of the Season

This service will be comprised of holiday­-themed music from various Sunnyhill members and friends, including the choir, children’s choir, string ensemble and other individuals and groups of all ages and many different styles. Come celebrate music and the season!

Hanukkah

Religious freedom and political resistance are major themes in the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. In this service we will explore how and why these themes are just as relevant now as they have ever been. (Budget Meeting)

Expecting Mystery

Ultimately, we know much less about what will happen in the world and in our lives than we think we do. Cultivating an appreciation for mystery might help us get past disappointment and judgment and arrive at a sense of expectancy instead. How might a sense of mystery help us gain wisdom and much-needed perspective?

Walking Together: Connecting Past, Present, and Future

We UUs do not have a creed; rather, we agree to “walk together,” a phrase as old as the oldest New England churches. The metaphor emphasizes our freedom but also delivers a much more subtle message about discipline and self-restraint. Let us walk together this Sunday after Thanksgiving. I suspect we all need the exercise.

Trans Rights = Human Rights

At a time when the U.S. administration is trying to take away civil rights from people who are transgender and erase their identities, our commitment to being radically welcoming and to working for equal rights for all has never been more important. What can we do to support our transgender friends and siblings?  

#StayOutraged, #StaySane(ish)

In the aftermath of the mid-term elections, what are we to do, both to sustain the energy needed to bring about positive change and to take care of ourselves so that we can be effective in the long run? We’ll explore ways to take care of ourselves while taking care of business.  

Diwali

Sunnyhill member Chetan Chothani will lead a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu “festival of lights” which takes place each fall. This holiday celebrates the victory of light over darkness and hope over despair. Please bring a journal or a book important to you and we will inscribe it with an auspicious message, during the service, … Continued