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.

These services will feature music, reflections, and readings celebrating Christmas. Our nativity reenactment will occur at the 4:00 service, and our Christmas Eve candle lighting ritual will take place at both services.

Why is the ritual of lighting a candle or lamp (or chalice) so powerful? What does this simple act accomplish, and how does it connect us with others? What does it signify for us? We will explore these questions by means of several stories from the Jewish tradition in celebration of Hanukkah, which is taking … Continued

Often the stories of our lives are not told until after our deaths in the form of eulogies and obituaries. What is the story of your life, and why might it be important to embrace and tell the story now rather than later?

What do our creation myths say about who we are and who we might become? What do the commonalities and differences among these stories suggest about how we view our place in the world?

How do we go about living our UU Value of justice and  “work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive?” What does justice mean in our particular context, and how do we embody justice personally and as a larger community, particularly at a time when this value seems to get short shrift?

If we are to have any hope of addressing and undoing racism and other systemic oppressions, we must start at home- in our personal attitudes and behaviors, in our families, in our congregations, and in our larger association. Are we up to this task? If so, how do we start?