Ritual and ceremony are integral to the maintenance of meaning
and the bonding of community. This is true throughout human history,
practiced in spheres that are religious, non-religious, intentional or otherwise.
They are powerful tools of connection. At All Souls UU we relish the
opportunity to be intentional about our rituals and ceremonies,
inheriting some that speak to our present through our heritage
and creating new ones that meet emerging needs.
Each Sunday is a ceremony; a ritual comprised of rituals. We gather to sing, reflect with one another, and find comfort and joy in community.
Our primary Sunday ritual is the lighting and extinguishing of our chalice to mark the beginning and end of our time of intentional sacrality. As a symbol, the chalice and the flame are rich with historical and mythic significance as well as emerging meanings.
We connect the communal to the personal by using our chalice flame to ignite our votives of joy and inspiration, which sit on a bed of collected sacred soil. Simultaneously, we release our sorrows in the form of stones into waters collected from our Water Communion. This ritual of Joys & Sorrow knit our community closer together.
Our liturgical year begins with the in-gathering ceremony of Water Communion. When we each contribute water from someplace we've been as a symbol of the character we wish to bring to All Souls UU, we then find that our mingled waters reveal the character and spirit of our community
As late summer turns to early fall, we are touched by both the melancholy of a fading warmth and the excitement brought about by a new, more internal season. The balance is keen. The Autumnal Equinox cozies our community and reminds us how good it is to be together with integrity and good cheer.
Deep Autumn invites us to consciously cooperate with our ancestors; to celebrate them, to mourn them, to heal them and ourselves. Bring a momento mori for our alter & All Souls Ceremony. We find inspiration with our forebears, The vail is thin.
Find solace and seed in the creative dormancy of the soil. As the northern hemisphere settles into darker days, we root in silent ceremony, sharing soil from where we are right now.
Come celebrate Christmas Eve with us. In the midst of the long night, we call forth the birth of light! The warmth of sacred community fuels our Fire Communion as we sanctify our household chalices and seed light in the dark.
It is a profound and blessed day when a community commits to the spiritual well being of a child. Child Dedication invites our to promise to nurturing the young lives in our congregation.
Cultivate the sacred in spaciousness. Patiently waiting for spring’s rebirth helps us to recognize that the divine appears when we give it space. We initiate this practice with a communion of donut holes. Who knew the holy tasted so good?
The sun is returning, and with it an unfurling of life and color. The Vernal Equinox marks the emergence of vitality, cyclicality, and stirs the vestigial sense that we too are emerging from the dark and into new life!
Let us find inspiration through gratitude for the grace of our Blessed Mother Earth. May we rest in her love and respond to her needs. What a beautiful world!
As summer approaches we celebrate the life-giving beauty of diversity in community with Flower Communion. Bring a flower or bouquet for our longest standing, wholly UU ritual which connects us with ourselves, one another, our religious tradition, and the resilient beauty of creation.
Flush with the full spectrum of light on the year’s longest day, Summer Solstice inspires us to celebrate our blessings and good fortune with an air communion of sound and movement.