#unitarianuniversalist — Public Fediverse posts

This Sunday
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### Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 10:30am

### Animal Blessing

Worship Leaders: Pastor Kirk, Sheri, Alex & Janique

This Sunday we honor the interconnected web and bless the animal companions who enrich our lives. Bring your animal companions along, or invite them to the screen if you're online. If your companion can't join us, or is no longer with us, bring a photo to hold or share. For those who wish, we'll have time for introductions and appreciations.

To help everyone feel at ease, we ask that animals in the sanctuary stay close to their humans and be leashed or otherwise restrained as appropriate. To support those with allergies or other sensitivities, we will hold an animal-free section in the front few rows on the musicians' side of the sanctuary, and joining online is a welcome option too. As always, please care for yourselves and one another by choosing the place and the way of joining that serves you best.

Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation
7400 Temple Hill Rd.
Camp Springs, MD 20748
Directions
(301) 449-4308

Onsite & Online (https://daviesuu.org/zoom/worship)

#unitarianUniversalist
#spirituality
#animals

just had a lovely Petaluma Sunday. Biked to church (signed the membership book, was welcomed by lots of people, sang in the choir), went to excellent poetry reading by Lorrie Chang, Mahrs Emerson Schoppman, and mOody bLaCk at the Phoenix Theater as part of Petaluma Poetry Walk, ran into some friends at another of the poetry walk venues, loitered around in Putnam Plaza Park listening to a jazz group (tight rendition of Sidewinder), biked over to pick up some books from the library, and now home.

#petaluma #bikeTooter #sonomaCounty #jazz #uuism #unitarianUniversalist #poetry #library #publicLibrary

https://petalumapoetrywalk.org

So a real treat at church this morning... Jim Scott, an amazing musician, songwriter, and all-around good human (and pretty ardent UU) did most of our service this morning.

He wrote Gather The Spirit, a favorite of many from the "old" hymnal (photo), and wrote 5-6 songs that are in the new hymnal.

He's played with a lot of great musicians. And he's passionate about peace, justice, and the climate crisis.

It was a good morning.

https://jimscottmusic.com

#uu #unitarianUniversalist #jimScott
#climateCrisis #unitarianUniversalism #peace #justice

5/5
From Ashley Horan:

" It is precise, exquisite, custom-curated authenticity that masquerades as performance, not the other way around, and its infinite expressions — its rhinestones or leather or lashes or fatkinis, depending on the Femme — are not a challenge, a demand, an insistence that this form of expression must be yours, but rather an elbow to the smothering rib cage of conformity that whispers in your ear that you should be anything except precisely who you are.

In both your presence and now your absence, Queen Dolly, you’ve made more space in the world for so many of us. Your memory is already a blessing. May you rest in peace and pearls."

#UU #DollyParton #UnitarianUniversalist #femme

1/5
From Ashley Horan, UUA minister in Minneapolis
https://www.facebook.com/ashley.a.p.horan/posts/pfbid0TS9uVcjtcdthj4wu7RPKbbt7KnRYCsfYR34L4xxk8U44yr5xDQGPAhyG7moUQZr4l

"There are more than enough raw expressions of grief and think pieces about our Queen Dolly flooding the internet right now, but because there is power in collective mourning and celebration of lives truly well-lived, I’m going to add mine, too:

In particular, I want to lift up and give glory to Dolly’s over-the-top, absolutely intentional, lived-in-comfortable, irreverently extravagant, flashy-as-fuck, weaponized-while-giving-permission version of femme. While she didn’t identify (at least not publicly) as anything other than a straight cis woman, there is a reason why she is an icon to so many queer femmes of every gender.

...

#UU
#DollyParton
#UnitarianUniversalist
#femme

Hey, uh... I'm already a bit entrenched in this subject, but something happened that makes me want to expand the offerings. Does anyone know of #liberal #catholic creators? Can be other #Christian too (#episcopal, #anglican #congregational #UnitarianUniversalist, #quaker are some other denoms I respect). I guess #EmilyWilson had said she doesn't care about immigrants or sex offense victims in a #Jubilee video, and I'm feeling betrayed and need to fill the void.

Had an interesting, new to me experience at a #UnitarianUniversalist service this morning, first time I've been. I was lucky enough that a guest musician led the group through Sufi, Zoroastrian and Aramaic songs and circle dances, to elevate the mind and spirit. She patiently taught the whole group the songs, as we all sang and danced in a group. So few opportunities to dance and sing in my culture, it was very rewarding.

Her group is https://siratiinayat.org/

After a ~15 year hiatus, I've started going back to #unitarianuniversalist services. This morning we sung Blue Boat Home and it unlocked so many emotions. I think I need more of this in my life.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WhsXl1_rEwI

A Software Engineer Won a Religious Exemption From Using AI at Work - Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/worker-got-religious-exemption-using-ai-at-work-2026-6
#UnitarianUniversalist but ideally others will follow suit.

@AliceMarshall @IveyJanette Welp. Guess my own faith (UU)has been excluded from US military recognized religions. Someone needs to tell a lot of Senators and Congressmen.

“This restructuring of faith codes, which help identify service members as well as the military in planning for appropriated religious coverage to include them, has now excluded minority faith/worldview groups including Atheists, Asatru, Deists, Druids, Eckankar, Heathens, Humanists, Magick, New Age churches, Pagan, Rosicrucianism, Shaman, Spiritualists, Troth, Unitarian Universalists and various Wiccans.”
#UU #UnitarianUniversalist #Unitarian #Universalist #Humanist

Fun fact: Churches cost a lot of money to operate. One of the things I like about Congregationalists like the #UnitarianUniversalist congregations and #unitedchurchofchrist churches is that in the New England tradition we let all of our members know what that is, whether they like it or not.

As part of my ongoing commitment to reignite the level of religion in my life, I am attending a meeting about next week's Annual Meeting at my #UnitarianUniversalist congregation. A meta-meeting, if you will.

I'm not sure if I am sick or crazy.

It’s fun being #UnitarianUniversalist because I’m an atheist who was able to tell the cute little twinks with name badges who asked me if I wanted to go to a church on Sunday that I already belong to a church without a bit of dishonesty

https://www.europesays.com/people/49119/ As AI advances, the question of values moves to the forefront #AIDevelopment #Christian #ChristianProject #Claude #DarioAmodei #MichelleStephens #UnitarianUniversalist

I thought calling everyone “beloved” was a #unitarianuniversalist thing, but now it seems like every influencer is doing it.

My friends, -- Our chalice lighting for today:

Today we gather together in the spirit of love and truth. As we light the chalice, let us remember the things that can sometimes be easily overlooked.

We remember the quiet acts of kindness, the unspoken words of support that ripple outward in ways we may never know.
We honor the small courage it takes to stand up for what is right, even when it feels insignificant.
We remember the beauty in the ordinary, the wonder in the everyday.
We celebrate the quiet strength that resides within each of us, waiting to be discovered.
Let it be so. Amen.

#unitarianUniversalist #spirituality #courage

Tonight's chalice extinguishing:

We extinguish this flame,
but not the light of reflection,
not the warmth of community,
not the fire of commitment.

May we carry with us the gifts of this hour:
gratitude for where we come from,
humility about what we claim,
and courage to reach beyond borders—
in heart, in mind, and in action.

As we go out into a world divided by nation and name,
may we remember the deeper truth:
we all belong to one another.
May it be So.

#unitarianUniversalist #spirituality

"We are all bound up together in one great bundle of humanity, and society
cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul. "

-- Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,
-- "We Are All Bound Up Together", 1866

#unitarianUniversalist #spirituality #blackhistorymonth

Skipping church tonight.

I’m just not in a very “inherent worth and dignity of every person” place right now when a group of people rape children and another group of people protect the child rapists while calling librarians and educators “pedophiles” and “groomers.”

📚 #unitarianuniversalist

Today, I attended service at a Unitarian Universalist congregation, and my soul is energized. There are a lot of people that want to make this world a better place. If you are feeling alone out there in a world of hate, there are those that side with love.

Today was especially powerful as a woman of color that marched with MLK Jr. read to the multi-colored children of the congregation a book of his speech. She choked up reading his words as my own tears ran freely.

"I have a dream that one day ... little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

#MLK, your dream is still alive and we that come after you will fight to make that reality for more and more people of this world.
#UU #unitarianuniversalist #mlkday

https://beehaw.org/post/23919155

My UU Experience As An Atheist

The Unitarian Universalist Church is officially welcoming to atheists. But are they really? Here's what I found.

#UU
#Atheism
#Atheist
#UnitarianUniversalist

I went to an outstanding church service today in commemoration of World AIDS Day (which is tomorrow). (This was at a UU church.) The service was given by someone who lost so many friends and fellow activists, and it was a very heavy service. I'm in my mid-50's, and the first time I had a friend who I knew was gay was when I was in grad school, in the 90's. No one in my high school in the 80's in Iowa was out, as far as I know. We knew people were dying, but we didn't know directly affected people then. I teach sex ed to kids and youth, and I know that 10-year-olds these days have no clue about AIDS. I'm thinking about how little my generally well-informed 24-year-old son knows of what it was like back then, when so many young gay men were dying. Anyway, it's a good day to put some emotional effort toward this topic. #UnitarianUniversalist #WorldAIDSDay

At my older age, I know that this is going to happen more and more, but I went to a memorial service today.

Multiple people got up and said how beloved the deceased was, and how much he meant to people, how devoted he was to his family and friends, as well as his #UnitarianUniversalist community.

Man, really making me have the thoughts of “live your life so that people will say nice and sincere things at your memorial.”

@scottwilson don't know your denomination, but if there are any #UnitarianUniversalist or #Friends churches near you, it might be a good place to reach out and team up as an inter-faith thing to get started. Both of those groups, and some others have great support for members of the LGBTQ+ community who also have a faith component of their beliefs. You'd get some built in support right away while your church's group grows, and first hand support from people who have been at it for a bit.

@14mission There's probably some better quote about this from someone, but I often respond with something to the effect of

We don't require you to believe in a particular thing, but we do require you to ask yourself questions about what you do believe in.

#UnitarianUniversalist #UU