In The Absence of Clarity

When people in any organization are not given clear, shared, honest answers to the question of what they are trying to accomplish together, they do not operate in a neutral zone. They fill in the center. They fill it with their own histories, their own fears, their own private visions of what the organization should be. And they work from those private understandings, which means a congregation full of people who genuinely share the same values can still be pulling in fundamentally different directions, without anyone having done anything wrong. This is why it is important to create a shared understanding of how to live the mission, because in the absence of clarity, people fill in their own meaning and context. Rev. David Miller, a native Evanstonian, is our preacher. Lynn Kendall serves as Worship Associate and Gregory Shifrin is on the piano. 

Rev. David A. Miller has served the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax as the senior minister since 2015. Before coming to UUCF, Rev. Miller was the settled minister of the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship of San Dieguito in Southern California since 2009. David was raised Jewish in the Skokie/Evanston area. Before he was called to the ministry, David spent more than 25 years in executive management, strategic planning, marketing, business development, and fundraising with private sector and non-profit organizations. He also served Unitarian Universalism as a member of the Standing on the Side of Love National Creative Advisory Team.

Upcoming Services

7/26/2026 – Nellie Eastman, What’s Your Story?

8/2/2026 – Rev. Jules Taylor, Dreamers

8/9/2026 – Dr. Elizabeth Mace, Sounds of Silence

8/16/2026 – Ryland Rich, Imperceptible Song

Deepening Gratitude

Galen Guengerich, a UU minister and theologian, argues that gratitude is the Unitarian Universalist spiritual practice. How does gratitude show up in your life? What are the connections between Unitarian Universalist values and gratitude as a practice? Gratitude moves our hearts and minds, encouraging us to be aware of our connections to the interdependent web. Rev. Elizabeth Harding is our preacher, Ally Hunter our Worship Associate, and Gregory Shifrin is on the piano.

Rev. Elizabeth Harding serves as UUCE’s Affiliated Community Minister. She grew up at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago. She graduated from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice in 2005 and then from Meadville Lombard Theological School in 2006. Elizabeth was ordained in 2007 by Second Unitarian Church of Chicago and received full fellowship from the UUA in 2017. Elizabeth has served 4 churches as their affiliated community minister and is excited to join UCE’s vibrant community. She has served in ministry as a hospital chaplain, hospice chaplain, bereavement social worker, and most recently, as 2U’s acting minister for religious education.

Today’s offering will be shared with Zacharias Center, whose mission is to mobilize the community toward ending systemic sexual violence while amplifying the voice of survivors through trauma informed care, advocacy, and prevention education.

Upcoming Services

7/19/2026 – Rev. David Miller, In The Absence of Clarity

7/26/2026 – Nellie Eastman, What’s Your Story?

8/2/2026 – Rev. Jules Taylor, Dreamers

8/9/2026 – Dr. Elizabeth Mace, Sounds of Silence

This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country

The founding ideals of the United States of America have always existed alongside significant failures to live up to them. This Sunday, we will use the texts from the faith250.org interfaith initiative to acknowledge the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. We will hold up truth-telling, civic engagement, inclusivity, and bold imagination as we choose a path forward that is steeped in our values. Rev. Susan Frances and Annette Wallace will lead the service, alongside pianist Gregory Shifrin.

 2026 UUA General Assembly Livestreamed Sunday Worship Service

 Come unite with UUs across the country for an awe-inspiring Sunday worship celebration! 

At 9:30 am, we will gather in the sanctuary for the pre-service Community Sing. This joyful gathering invites all participants to join in beloved hymns and spirited music that connect us across distance and difference. No experience is needed, just bring your voice and your heart.

At 10:00 am (note time change), join Rev. Susan Frances and our UU Network Team in the sanctuary to watch the livestream of this worship service led by The Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu. Through music, preaching, and ritual, we will ground ourselves in our Unitarian Universalist faith and be renewed for the work of justice, compassion, and community in the world.

This Sunday we will be creating community space inclusive of our immunocompromised members & friends by requiring all attendees to be masked on the main floor from 9 am – 1 pm. Please take your Kinship Time food and beverages onto the South Lawn to enjoy unmasked. Gatherings in the Lower Level rooms may be unmasked.

You may join the Community Sing and the GA Worship Service directly through the Livestream button in the newsletter or the Worship Livestream button on the Home page.

For the offertory, we will be passing the collection bowls. Anything collected here in the sanctuary, will benefit our Shared Offering Program recipient, Deborah’s Place, whose mission is to open doors of opportunity for women who are homeless. The supportive housing and services provided by Deborah’s Place offers women a key to healing and moving on from the experience of homelessness.

Upcoming Services:

June 28 – Kera Beskin’s spiritual journey with Rev. Eileen Wiviott as worship associate. (Rev. Eileen’s last Sunday before her two month sabbatical.)

July 5 – This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country – Rev. Susan Frances

July 12 – Rev. Elizabeth Harding

July 19 – In the Absence of Clarity – Rev. David Miller

Pride in Our Community

Happy Pride! This year we gather together to celebrate the pride we take in our community. It takes a collective effort to come together to demand a better world, to be present and comfort each other’s grief, and to model what it looks like to center Love in daily living. This Sunday, we will remember the 10 year anniversary of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. We will shine our pride upon the loving community we have created here at UUCE as we continue to engage in building an accountable and inclusive world.

This Sunday’s service was created by Rev. Susan Frances, Alison Issen, Steven Baksa, Mags Johnston, and Carol Young. Musicians Kiley Korey, Taylor Hobart, Cora Adair, and Gregory Shifrin provide our music.

Today’s offering will be shared with Deborah’s Place, whose mission is to open doors of opportunity for women who are homeless. The supportive housing and services provided by Deborah’s Place offers women a key to healing and moving on from the experience of homelessness.

Upcoming Services

June 21 – Start time of 10 am for 90-minute Livestream of UUA General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship Service

June 28 – Kera Beskin’s spiritual journey with Rev. Eileen Wiviott as worship associate. (Rev. Eileen’s last Sunday before her two month sabbatical.)

July 5 – This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country – Rev. Susan Frances

July 12 – Rev. Elizabeth Harding

 Love Is…Mutual Flourishing 

We celebrate our uniquely Unitarian Universalist Flower Communion. Please bring a flower or many to contribute to our communion. We will also dedicate some of our wonderful children and bid a fond farewell to our beloved Ministerial Intern, Dr. (and soon to be Reverend) Emma Farrell. Charles M. Anderson and Chester Beck, soloists; the UCE Choir, directed by Vickie Hellyer and accompanied by Gregory Shifrin on piano and Nadav Simon on percussion, and The Lively Spirit Dancers provide music to lift our spirits. Annual picnic and potluck to follow service. Please bring a dish to share.

Today’s offering will be shared with Deborah’s Place, which opens doors of opportunity for women that experience homelessness in Chicago through supportive services and permanent housing.

Upcoming Services

June 14 – The Power of Community to Heal – Rev. Susan Frances

June 21 – UUA General Assembly Worship (masks required) Livestream starts at 10 a.m.

June 28 – Kera Beskin’s Spiritual Journey

July 5 – This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country – Rev. Susan Frances

Love Is…Mutual Flourishing

 We celebrate our uniquely Unitarian Universalist Flower Communion. Please bring a flower or many to contribute to our communion. We will also dedicate some of our wonderful children and bid a fond farewell to our beloved Ministerial Intern, Dr. (and soon to be Reverend) Emma Farrell. Ellie Feddersen serves as our Worship Associate. The UCE Choir, directed by Vickie Hellyer and accompanied by Gregory Shifrin on piano, provide music to life our spirits.

Today’s offering will be shared with Deborah’s Place, which opens doors of opportunity for women that experience homelessness in Chicago through supportive services and permanent housing.

Upcoming Services

June 14 – The Power of Community to Heal – Rev. Susan Frances

June 21 – UUA General Assembly Worship (masks required) Livestream starts at 10 a.m.

June 28 – Kera Beskin’s Spiritual Journey

July 5 – This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country – Rev. Susan Frances

The Courage to be Curious

It’s hard to be brave and curious when things change so rapidly. Things are changing faster than we can possibly adjust to, but we can build the courage to slow down together amidst overwhelming change and move forward with curiosity. We bid a fond farewell to beloved, long-time members, Lee and Jane Bannor who are moving away. Rev. Eileen leads the service with Carla Williams as the Worship Associate. Charles Anderson is our hymn and song leader and Gregory Shifrin on piano lead us musically.

Today’s offering will be shared with The Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI), which works to equip UU’s in Illinois to ​transform institutions, partnering with and supporting people harmed by the prison industrial complex.

Upcoming Services

June 7 – Flower Communion and Child Dedications – Rev. Eileen

June 14 – The Power of Community to Heal – Rev. Susan Frances

June 21 – UUA General Assembly Worship (masks required) Livestream starts at 10 a.m.

June 28 – Kera Beskin’s Spiritual Journey