Our Worship – The Chalice

Worship is our shared Unitarian Universalist practice of exploring, connecting to, and creating the ways that our individual lives fit into a larger whole.

We gather in worship to find meaning and live more deeply. Worship creates connections within, among, and beyond us, calling us to our better selves, calling us to live with wisdom and compassion.

By devoting ourselves to a regular time of encountering and engaging that which is greater, wiser, and more compassionate than our individual selves, we create opportunities for transformation and meaning-making.

Elements of our typical 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 homily (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.

The Flaming Chalice

A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot) is a primary symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition. Many of our congregations kindle a flaming chalice in gatherings and worships and feature the chalice symbol prominently.

Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame as a Unitarian symbol during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II. To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love. Unitarian Universalists today have many different interpretations of the flaming chalice, including the light of reason, the warmth of community, and the flame of hope.