For Our Ancestors, for Our Children, for Ourselves
Each Sunday we light the chalice of our religious heritage. We do this for our ancestors… We do this for our children… We do this for ourselves…
Bold and Courageous Together
Reader 1: The word courage comes from the Latin cor, which means heart. According to poet Mark Nepo, the original use of the word courage meant to stand by one’s core: a “striking concept that reinforces the belief found in almost all traditions that living from the Center is what enables us to...
So That We Might, Together, Shine
When we light our chalice everyone focuses on the flame. Yet it is the paraffin of the candle, the cotton of the wick, the potassium chlorate and sulfur of the match, and the oxygen in the air around us that makes that flame possible. As leaders we are not called to be a lone beacon on a hill.
Chalice Lighting for a Memorial Service
We light this flame As our fervent plea to brighten the dark corners of our hearts; We hold this flame For in it is the promise of warmth for souls grown cold in loss and despair; We kindle this light That we might continue to find comfort in its warmth; strength in its light; holiness in its...
Chalice Lighting for the Work of the Congregation
As we approach our agenda let us remember that we are doing the work of the congregation.* When we do the work of this congregation*, we touch lives. When we touch lives, we change the world. May this chalice flame we now kindle remind us throughout our meeting of our ministry and our mission....
All the Lights of the Heavens
For the wonder and inspiration We seek from sun and stars And all the lights of the heavens We light this chalice.
Superheroes
Mindful that With great power comes great responsibility, We light this chalice in the hopes that In brightest day, in blackest night, Our faith will Flame on! —Spiderman, Green Lantern, & the Human Torch (compiled by Cynthia Landrum)...
For Those Who Serve
In honor of those who have served, And those who continue to serve, At home and abroad, for peace and in war, We light our chalice, And we offer our thanks.
In the Bleak and Cold Winter
In the bleak and cold winter, We gather ourselves in To light the fire to warm our spirits, To kindle the flame of love and hope.
Love and Justice
Flame of our faith, call us into the community of love and justice this morning and every morning.
Connection and Commitment
As we kindle this flame, May it spark in each of us Connection and commitment To this living tradition And to each other.
Refuge
How often we seek refuge in this sacred flame From the world’s trouble and pain. Today, may our lamp light the way For whose who know no refuge, That we may open our minds Our arms Our hearts Our mouths to sing “Come, whoever you are,” Wholly new and wholly true.
On the Brink of a New Year
We light this chalice on the brink of a new year Letting go of what has been Open and hopeful for what may come Renewed, restored, ready To live Life fully anew May we move forward with intention. Note: this chalice lighting can be read in unison or responsively.
Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today
We gather here, around this flame; seeking, believing, and being, together.
Love Is Our Center (Lighting)
We light this flame to remind us: Love is the center. As we grow and connect, mature and deepen: Love is our center. When the light of truth burns all else away: Love endures.
Intention and Creativity
This ritual of our faith reminds our subtle-and-crashing-about beings that we are part of a collective— a community of care and connection, courage and questions, scared and sacred together.
Where the Streets Are Holy
Not every sanctuary has walls—some are stitched together from longing, kindness, and sheer survival.
First Fire, First Water
Fire lifts us up and invigorates us with purpose, while Water helps us settle down into being.
Joy and Power That Grow
In this circle, we honor the courage it takes to live openly, the softness that sustains us, and the joy and power that grow when we gather.
A Reminder of What We Share
The chalice is a symbol of our faith: Like our faith, it is not magic nor is it mysterious. We light it as a reminder of what we share as a community and of who, each of us, is called to be.
Shining upon the Hearts
With the lighting of this flame let us shine upon the hearts of all those who suffer, who yearn, and who crave the joyful noise of community–all Beings, not one left behind.
You Deserve a Place
You deserve a place that welcomes your becoming, that knows your fire is not too much, your silence not too little.
All Animal Chalice
We light this chalice, spark of the original fire of creation, to remind us that we all on this planet—the furred, the feathered, the finned, and the scaled, along with us featherless bipeds—we are all made of the same star-stuff and all share a common destiny. We all share the same hopes of a...
Light is Returning
Around us, light is returning. It rekindles the spirit of life in the skeletons of trees. It brings forth new shoots from the soil. It wakes us from our winter slumber, and invites us to see what lies beyond. We light this chalice in the spirit of our Earth’s awakening and to reaffirm our...
A Child’s Chalice Lighting of Gratitude for the Earth
What if when I light the chalice, you hear an invitation to welcome gratitude for the earth? This week, as I got ready to light the chalice, my family talked about blessings from this planet. Here is my list: [list 3-7 things] And now, with this flame of hope shedding light in your heart: what is...
Chalice Lighting for Children's Sunday
We light this chalice for our children and youth, and for us: celebrating the flame of faith lit in each of us, honoring the light each of us bring into the world, rejoicing in the community we create together.
Thirsty
And so we gather, from the ebb and flow of our lives Thirsty for connection to ourselves Thirsty for connection to others Thirsty for connection to the larger life. As we light this chalice May all who gather here be filled: Filled with joy and hope Filled with compassion and love Here, may we be...
The Heart of a UU
We kindle this flame (hold arms together in a chalice shape and wiggle fingers) to honor the heart of a Unitarian Universalist (hold hands together in a heart shape) Someone who shows strength (flex both arms in a strong motion) Someone who lends a helping hand (flip one hand, palm facing outward...
The Infinite Divinity
We are whole and holy; we are loved beyond all measure. And in our refusal to accept anything less, may we know we are rooted in the infinite divinity.
The Great Turning
As we light this chalice, we kindle the spirit of the great turning: the movement for justice alive in this nation today. May we feel it in our bones, and in the stillness of this hour, may we sense it calling our name.
Into Many Coming Years
We cannot know what all the year may bring, and would we heed the prophecy if we could?
I Breathe
As we light this chalice, may each breath remind us of the sacred rhythm of life, the pulse of creation, and the power we hold to shape the world around us.
Chalice for the Earth
We light this chalice for the Earth, of which we all are part / Encendemos este cáliz por la tierra
A Wild and Holy Vision
Guide us all to a Wild and Holy vision of our shared humanity.
We Gather As Many Drops
We gather as many drops, each winding our own path down life’s surfaces and ruts. Here we pool together as a single body, flowing together for a time. Together we are a stream, at times even a river, for with our shared force we can travel toward oceans of meaning and seas of connection.
We Carry The Flame
Voice One, Elder (with chalice): Across the generations we have carried the flame. We fought the injustice, sang the songs, spoke for truth, and built something lasting. We join in the line and we carry the flame forward. (pass chalice and mic to next speaker) Voice Two, Active Leader (with metal...
Living with Pride
We light our chalice flame For those who lived their lives in closets of shame; For those who furtively visited the bars, where nobody knew your name; For the Stonewall riot—and the fierce transwomen who fought; For the plague, which still takes far too many, too young, too soon. So many gone. So...
Grounding in Our Faith
In a time of uncertainty, when everything around us is changing constantly— each day new developments, rising numbers, changing guidelines; when the world we live in suddenly seems upside-down and topsy-turvy: We light our chalice to remind ourselves of our grounding in our faith....
Chalice Lighting for a Service on the Separation of Church and State
This chalice burns with twin flames. The first flame burns for those who seek and defend the right to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning so that each person may live according to conscience in a democratically elected society. The second flame burns for the defenders of freedom,...
Sacred
We join our voices in a holy communion of mind and heart, dedicated to the promises that bind us in compassion, one with another. In this hour we light the flame that signals our intention to find the sacred in every living thing.
Chalice Lighting for Advent
Help us to see that for the smallest, the humblest, the least of these burns the brightest star.
Welcoming the Stranger
Original version in English by Tracy Bleakney, traducción en español por Theresa Soto A child journeys far from home Fearful and brave, in need of safe harbor. Guided by this chalice, may we seek to understand the causes of flight. Like the comfort of a candle flickering in a window of darkness,...
Out of the Flames
Out of the flames of fear We rise with courage of our deepest convictions to stand for justice, inclusion and peace Out of the flames of scrutiny We rise to proclaim our faith With hope to heal a fractured and hurting world Out of the flames of doubt We rise to embrace the mystery, wonder and awe...
Love Can Transform the World
Love is the aspiration, the spirit that moves and inspires this faith we share. Rightly understood, love can nurture our spirits and transform the world....
Mother's Day Chalice Lighting
We light this chalice for mothers and mothering; to celebrate those who have taken on the task of nurturing a young one-baby, child, or youth-into adulthood; to celebrate those who have nourished the light of truth and compassion in growing minds and hearts; to celebrate those who have committed...
Memorial Chalice Lighting
May today bring forth transformation in ourselves—from grief, healing; from memory, wholeness; and from celebration, love.
Toward Repair Relationship
May this chalice light guide us toward the courageous and openhearted apology, toward repair of relationships in our lives.