Sharing Our Histories

History is not only the study of our past, but also the sharing of it. We each have a family history and a cultural history, which may involve the history of one or many nations. The collection of our personal histories shapes the story of how we came to be born in this moment in time. Our histories have beauty, tragedy, and gaps. Our histories might give us comfort, anger, pride, shame, or unanswerable questions. Sharing the stories of our histories helps us confront how our histories make us feel and gives us the ability to create a guide for how to accountably live our lives in the present moment in time, for we cannot change the past, but we can shape the history that will be told in the future.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, November 27th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois

Honoring Tradition and Embracing Change

Traditions can be comforting or confining. In our progressive faith, we strive to hold traditions with a gentle touch, valuing the roots that hold us close while reaching with curiosity and courage toward what is possible when we embrace change. This is our annual bread communion service. Please bring a loaf of bread (or two) – pre-sliced, please, and in a basket or bowl if you can – from your family tradition, heritage, or simply a bread you enjoy. If you are participating from home, please have a bit of bread or snack with you for the service. 

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, November 20th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois

Knowing Our Purpose

The Article II Commission’s latest draft claims boldly, as part of our purpose statement, that “we will transform the world by our liberating love.” What would it mean for us to claim love as our central, unifying value and to fully live that with a sense of profound purpose? Rev. Eileen leads the service with Rev. Susan Frances as Worship Associate. We also welcome new members today!

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, November 13th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois

Remembering our Loved Ones

This Sunday we will acknowledge the time of year when the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing the death of plant life and the southern migration of animals. It is the time of the final fall harvest, when thoughts of death and decay have led various cultures to create festivals that remember and honor the dead. In joining in this remembering and honoring, we will explore how our community cohesively celebrates Samhain, Day of the Dead, All Souls Day, and Halloween. Bring a photo or token of a deceased loved one to place on our altar during our 10:30 am worship service. And, bring your Halloween costume for our 12:00 pm costume parade.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, October 30th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI)

The Value of Building Beloved Community

Our congregation’s first value statement is that We practice Beloved Community by welcoming, affirming and promoting the worth and dignity of people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, and identities within, among, and beyond our physical and virtual spaces. Recognizing The Beloved Community is a paradigm, a way of being in the world, rather than a place with defined borders or walls, how do we build it? We continue our exploration of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Article II Commission, by reflecting on how we make our values real. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads the service with Bob Mesle as Worship Associate.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, October 16th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI)

Leading with Love

Leading with love requires a balance of attending to others while caring for one’s self. Leadership guided by compassion creates deeper relationships, sustains long-term teams with healthy leadership transitions, and allows creativity and fun to flourish. When we foster empathy and self-care, we are better able to cultivate the time and energy needed to say yes to the needs of our faith community. Come engage your inner leader!

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, October 9th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI)

On the Side of Love

We are called in these challenging and polarizing times to lean into love, to find resilience through joy, and sustenance in community. We’ll hear from some of our congregational and UUA leaders on living our values through the democratic process. And In honor of Banned Books Week, please bring to worship your favorite banned book to exchange. You’ll be invited to leave it on the altar and take another book you haven’t read. Rev. Eileen leads worship with Shannon Lang as Worship Associate.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, September 25th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Interfaith Action of Evanston.