Sunday morning is the time when friends and members of UU Wellesley Hills pause from their workaday lives and gather as a faith community, worshipping together in the Sanctuary and connecting afterwards at our Fellowship Hour in Parish Hall. Communal worship services nourish our spirits, our minds, and our senses, combining music and readings with thoughtful sermons and moments of quiet reflection.
Although services vary from week to week, several elements are regularly featured. Each week, for instance, we lift up our special “kindled lamps”, raise our voice in song, and greet our neighbors. We recognize the work and outreach of our many volunteers. We sit in shared silence, light candles for those who are a source of concern to us or cause for celebration, and lift up our ongoing events and activities.
A member of the congregation comes forward each week to light the chalice on our altar, illuminating this shining symbol of our Unitarian Universalist commitment to religious pluralism and humanitarian values. Our Religious Educator may lead an interactive story, share a Wisdom Tale, or open a Wonderbox in a segment of the service aimed at the young at heart of all ages. We take up an offering, often for a worthy cause in our community, as part of our larger spiritual practice of generosity. Our minister will deliver a sermon or we will invite a guest preacher to do so. The choir may sing a spirit-filled anthem or lead us in singing rounds.
A sample order of a recent Sunday service can be found HERE. The subject of any given service is announced in the Weekly Update newsletter on Thursdays. Our Unitarian Universalist worship is rich in tradition but open to the new; we like to think that our services hold some appeal for those who are open to all sorts of spiritual promptings.
Here at UU Wellesley Hills, we use theme-based ministry through the Soul Matters program, a Unitarian Universalist initiative. Our 2023-2024 annual theme is “The Gifts of Our Faith”. The monthly topics which we explore are shared both within small groups throughout the month.
Our Worship Arts Team helps with worship throughout the year. Volunteers are always welcome to join the team; contact our minister or Director of Congregational Life and Learning if you are interested in joining the team.