Unitarian Universalist Worship

Unitarian Universalist worship styles vary by congregation and even within congregations. Our worship varies from traditional to low-key to contemporary and high tech. Sometimes there is exuberant music, sometimes we have folk singing, sometimes we have periods of silent reflection. Several times a year all ages and generations worship together for an entire service. Our worship aspires to bring theological diversity into each service, drawing from the six sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith: www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/sources.

Elements of a typical Unitarian Universalist Sunday morning worship service include:

• Words of welcome
• Lighting a flaming chalice, the symbol of our faith
• A multigenerational segment, such as a “story for all ages”
• Music, both instrumental and vocal and in a variety of styles
• A time for lifting up the joys and concerns of the congregation
• A meditation or prayer
• Readings—ancient or contemporary
• A sermon given by a professional minister, a guest speaker, or a member of the congregation
• An offering, collecting financial donations for the congregation or for justice work in the community.

From time to time, worships incorporate holiday celebrations, multigenerational plays and pageants, circle worship, child dedications, and coming-of-age ceremonies. All ages are welcome at our worship services.

MCUUF is currently offering services in a variety of formats. Usually, the first Sunday of the month is virtual only, on Zoom. The second and fourth Sundays are multiplatform, offered both at our meeting space in the Rockford Grange and online. And the third Sunday is in person only at the Grange; no Zoom is available for this service. Any changes to this schedule will be announced well in advance.

We feel excited about this new plan, but for it to work we need your help. Join the set up crew. Learn to handle the tech equipment. Bring flowers. Play music. Do a reading. Suggest a guest speaker. And, if you have ever had an idea for a service you would like to lead, this is your chance. The less-formal, in-person-only services will be a great opportunity for you to try out your ideas in a supportive setting. Working together, we can continue to create Sunday morning services that feed our spirits, broaden our minds, and bring us together in community. If you have ideas or feedback or you want to volunteer for something, please feel free to contact any member of the Worship Team: Elaine Castles, Dan Ball, Bonnie Withers, or Marjorie Iburg. See you at the Grange