Worship in our congregation is based on elements of traditional Jewish and Christian worship: readings, stories, music, silence, sharing, giving, and sermon. The content of our services draws from many sources including: human experience, the writings and stories of prophetic men and women, world religious traditions, humanism, and earth-centered traditions. As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, our message is eclectic and inclusive, offered in a spirit of compassion and love.
Elements of a Sunday service include:
- Words of welcome
- Lighting a flaming chalice, the symbol of our faith
- Music, both instrumental and vocal and in a variety of styles, our choir sings on the third Sunday or each month
- A time for lifting up the joys and sorrows of the congregation
- A meditation or prayer
- Readings—ancient and contemporary
- A sermon given by our minister, a guest speaker, or a member of the congregation
- An offering, each week we funds for local food banks and we also collect an offering for the ongoing work of the congregation. Once each month we give our collection to an organization doing justice work in the Berkshires.
From time to time, services incorporate holiday celebrations, multigenerational plays and pageants, longer musical performances, child dedications, and coming-of-age ceremonies.
We meet Sundays at 10:30 a.m. in our building and on Zoom. Zoom attendees are able to participate in in the service through audio and video if they choose.
For Zoom connection information, please check your weekly email. If you are not on our email list and would like to be, send a message to info@uumsb.org.