This week’s service will be online-only over the holiday weekend. We will be viewing the worship service from the UU General Assembly. The General Assembly Sunday Worship, a powerful and communal experience, the largest annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, led by the Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu. This year, Rev. Ryu celebrates the 20th anniversary of her ordination … Continue reading General Assembly Worship Experience
Our Unitarian Universalist faith and tradition encourages religious and spiritual exploration, a responsible search for meaning, in which we support each other’s spiritual growth within community. For the past year, 7 teens within our Tree of Life and Prairie Circle congregations have been discussing their beliefs and values together and with our religious educators. In the … Continue reading Growing Our Truth
This worship service draws insight, hope, and inspiration from our Unitarian, Universalist, and UU histories with select stories of how ordinary people have shown up for justice in very different ways and contexts. To borrow a phrase from the Biblical book of Hebrews, “ we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,….”to guide … Continue reading Rooted in Solidarity: UU Stories of Resistance and Resilience
Due to a technical glitch the first part of the service was not recorded. Tree of Life and Prairie Circle UU Congregations’ annual holiday musical celebration is Sunday, December 21 at 10:30am. This year’s concert features both secular and sacred music with vocal and bell choirs, woodwinds ensemble, and guest musicians. All are welcome to … Continue reading Annual Holiday Concert: Winter Peace and Holiday Joy
Believe it or not, Christmas Day did not become a federal holiday in the United States until 1870. Prior to then, the celebration of Christmas was discouraged. This Sunday we will revisit the role that early Unitarians and Universalists had in shaping the history of the Christmas holiday in America. An exploration of UU history, … Continue reading Inventing Christmas: How Unitarian Universalists Shaped the American Holiday
What are the life lessons, and lessons for our spirit and our faith, that we can learn from the waters that surround us? This Sunday we explore and celebrate our connection to one another and to the wider web of life, our one world and one interconnected body of water. Our worship service will include … Continue reading In Praise of What Connects Us: Our Annual Water Communion Ceremony
While sharing core values, Unitarians are free to assemble their own personal spirituality, within reason. So, let’s belly up to the buffet with Alan at the All-You-Can-Eat spirituality cafeteria and peruse the selections. Some restrictions apply. Carry-out available. The Rev. Dr. Alan Shear is a retired college professor currently serving on the Tree of Life … Continue reading Smorgasbord Spirituality
If you missed this service, you can watch the entire General Assembly version here. We are gathering for worship online to create building access for our TOL housemates, the McHenry County Jewish Congregation. While we’ll be meeting from our homes, we will still celebrate the willingness of our faith and our community to become the … Continue reading Ever Willing: Becoming the People Our World Needs
Our Sunday worship service will include our annual celebration of Flower Communion, a practice in Unitarian Universalist Churches throughout the world, to embrace the beauty in our diversity and uniqueness. As part of the ceremony, each person is invited to bring a flower with them, whether it is a wildflower from a field, a flower … Continue reading Inspired Gifts: A Celebration of Flower Communion and of our Community
Join Rev Allison Farnum and Keith Talley of UUPMI (Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois) as they invite us to organize ourselves to be a presence to those in IL jails and prisons, remembering our power as a humanizing, caring presence. Keith Talley (he/him/his) is the Prisoner Solidarity Specialist at the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry … Continue reading Refusing to Abandon
