Dec.  16 - Solstice and Yule

Service Leaders: Earth Based Spirituality Council

Come celebrate the return of hope, as the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.  We are vulnerable to hardship, disillusion and indifference getting us stuck, so let us come together and gather hope and joy in community and the strengthening sun.

Solstice or Yule marks the point on the Wheel of the Year when darkness starts to give way to light. 

For many this is a time of joy and celebration at the sun's "rebirth". For others, as the earth settles into winter, Yule can be a time of melancholy. 

For our ancestors many rituals and traditions of this time helped to amplify the joy and rekindle the human spirit.

Dec. 23 - The Gift of Community

Service Facilitator: Mel Horvath-Lucid

Whatever the holiday season means to you, you are welcome! Enjoy a mug of hot chocolate, tea or coffee and join compassionate choir and our youth as we explore the gifts that money can't buy, including celebrating the gift of our UU community.

Dec. 30 - Burning Bowl Service

Service Facilitator - Lisa Lindsay

The end of one year and the start of the next is for many, a time to turn to a new chapter in their lives and bring the previous chapter to its inevitable close. Many UU's in different Congregations, have established a kind of New Years Tradition around this. It varies from Congregation to Congregation as you would expect. For some, the time for this is the last Sunday of the old year. For others, it is the first Sunday of the new year.

In some, this is about tossing the things we want to let go of into the Chalice. These are written on flash paper and held until ignited in the flame. (From which some have referred to this as the "Burning Bowl" Service.) For others, it's about lighting a candle of hope for the new year!

Regardless, each Congregation develops it own take on how this is done. Please join us on December 30th as we explore how we, as a congregation, can facilitate a similar ceremony that works for UCG!