One of my favorite things about all the rituals and traditions attached to this time of year is the way they mess with time. My husband and son and I decorate our Christmas tree, and as we hang each ornament—the ones we brought from our parents’ houses and the ones...
It is the tradition at the UU Congregation of Charlottesville to designate the Christmas Eve offering to replenish the Ministers’ Discretionary Fund. That fund is used by the ministers to assist with emergency needs in our congregation or neighborhood, to tide individuals over until more permanent assistance can be located.
For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything your goodness sends, Thank you! Adapted from a grace of Ralph Waldo Emerson by Reverend Phil Lund. Sung to the tune of “Praise God from Whom...
Donate to Sin Barreras here. Over seven years, Sin Barreras has become one of Central Virginia’s preeminent Hispanic non-governmental organizations. We have benefitted from the generosity of the Unitarian Universalists of Charlottesville for three years, and having this support come from concerned-citizen donors means as much to us as the actual...
Do you have go-to stories in your family that are told time and time again? I have several and here are some of the titles: Ducks can run really fast if they think you have food. We’re getting married tomorrow and the dogs have caught a skunk! Why did Mommy...
Join us on Christmas Eve for a lovely and meaningful blend of traditions, suitable for all ages. This Zoom service will include beautiful music from our own members, readings and reflections from Revs. Linda and Leia, and end with a telling of the Christmas story of the birth of a...
An Activity to Celebrate Solstice with Your family. To connect with the sacred stillness of the longest night of the year, this activity guides us to create a symbolic, toy-sized cave with our children. This quiet, holy, protective cave will shelter Mother Earth and the Sun Child, symbolically reborn the...
A poem by Irene Wellman. It Was Nothing Really A storm had passed. I stopped the car to walk up and down the country road, trees along the horizon, nearby new leaves, flowers, pools of water on the road. A few cars went by. and then the sun’s rays shone...
By Laura Wallace Like many UUs, I came from a religious background that one day no longer made sense for me. Disillusionment sent me searching, and finally to hovering nervously on a back pew nearly 40 years ago, scared but relieved to have blundered into a community that wouldn’t tell...
Did you ever wonder where our Sunday altars come from? They are created each month by our dedicated altar team. In this post, Maggie Ober explains their creative process. The altar team, Cindy Mick, Michelle Goodrich, Patty Wallens and Maggie Ober, with liberal support from Leia Durland-Jones and Nik Skaggs,...