The work of Christmas is to give birth to love in the world. This means honoring the sacredness of everyone. This means welcoming others into radically inclusive Beloved Community. This means making sure everyone’s basic needs are provided for – food, shelter, clothing, healthcare – so that every person can flourish with dignity, love, and … Continue reading The Work of Christmas
We’re not the first to find ourselves in the dark night, the oppression of tyrants, the desert journey, the making of new ways of being together. We have the wisdom, inspiration, and gifts of many ancestors in the struggle to guide us. Join us this Sunday as we look to the past for how to … Continue reading Choosing Hope, Again and Again
We choose hope when we look at reality for what it is while imagining what it could be. Sometimes we confuse hope with optimism but reality might be bleak or brimming with options. Choosing hope means working for the possible … whether it seems possible or not. For Reflection: “When the world feels heavy what … Continue reading Hope in Blue and Green
A Multigenerational Christmas Pageant This year’s pageant will be an interactive adaptation of Unitarian Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, featuring figures from Unitarian Universalist history. Join us this Sunday for a fun, meaningful, and truly UUnique look at the deeper meaning of Christmas. For Reflection: “What small things give you hope right now?” Monthly Theme … Continue reading Accotink’s “A Christmas Carol” Christmas Pageant
Join us this Sunday as we continue to explore nurturing gratitude with an ensemble service featuring reflections from AUUC members Daria Akers, Connie Diamant, Steve Purdy, and Chris Stunkard For Reflection: How does noticing small daily things you’re thankful for change your perspective on stressful or frustrating moments? Monthly Theme for November: Nurturing Gratitude The … Continue reading “The Many Gifts of Gratitude”
The practice of gratitude serves to remind us of the many gifts that life offers us. The practice is not meant to stop there. Once we are filled with gratitude and the awareness of our interdependence with other people and the Earth, the practice continues as we respond to this abundance by sharing the gift. … Continue reading Sharing the Gift
A Multigenerational Bread & Cider Communion Belonging is our birthright. Gratitude helps us to remember that “what we need is here.” In this multigenerational Bread and Cider Communion, we’ll celebrate the bounty of the earth and how we’re called to respond with gratitude and generosity. For Reflection: “What is the smallest thing you’ve been thankful … Continue reading Coming Home to Belonging
Our Annual All Souls Service with Reading of Names from our Memorial Garden A Special Music Sunday featuring AUUC’s choir and special guests, the Seasons of Love Ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Question to Ponder: “Who is someone from the past (an ancestor, a historical figure, or someone who has died) … Continue reading “there is a love poem waiting deep below”
Suffering is an unavoidable part of life. There is no escaping that. How we respond to suffering, whether it embitters us or we use our suffering to break open our hearts in compassion, that’s up to us. This Sunday we’ll look to Vietnamese Buddhist Teacher Thich Nhat Hahn, Sufi Muslim poet Jelaluddin Rumi, Unitarian Ralph … Continue reading The Wound Is Where the Light Enters
Rev. William Levwood Here at Accotink UU Church we’re making a commitment to meet the moment with our response to the current political crisis in our nation. A few Sundays ago more than thirty of you showed up and shared with the minister and other social justice leaders what you want us to focus on. … Continue reading “Defending Our Democracy: We Belong to Each Other”
A Multigenerational Blessing of the Animals Rev. William Levwood Join us for our annual Blessing of Animals. Send in photos of beloved pets, living and deceased, and wild animals so they may be blessed. Together we will celebrate the many blessings shared between the human animal and the more-than-human animals. May we care for them … Continue reading “The Compassionate Animal”
Profound polarization is endangering our nation’s democracy. This polarization creates feedback loops that deepen the polarization. To live our UU Values in this historical moment, we’re called to hold fast to our principles while at the same time drawing the circle of belonging in ever-widening arcs. Join us as we explore together the causes of … Continue reading “Y’all Means All”
