Worship at South Church
“At South Church we nurture spiritual growth through worship, learning, and community.” Our mission statement identifies worship as one of the core ministries of our congregation. Sunday morning worship is the heart of our liberal religious community. It is the one time during the week when all of us come together in one place. Attending Sunday worship is, for many of us, our primary spiritual practice. Worship is the way we pay attention to what is of ultimate worth to us; it is the way we remember who we are and what we are called to do.
As UU minister Kenneth Patton said, “We arrive out of many singular rooms.” We are diverse in our theologies and in our personal approaches to spirituality. We are formal and informal, we love ritual and we cherish spontaneity. We recognize that sacred music comes in many different styles. We are an intergenerational community. About 6 times per year we worship all together with children, youth, and adults. Most of the time the children join us for the start of the service which includes a Reflection for All Ages. They then go to Young Church while the adult service continues. On the first Sunday of each month, Children’s Chapel offers a different worship opportunity for our children.
We are a covenantal community. Unitarian Universalism has no creed, but we have made promises to each other about the ways we will be together, the ways we will worship together in diversity and in unity. Our covenant reminds us that wisdom and inspiration come to different people in different ways. We recognize and honor in worship many different sources for our faith. The Statement of Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association identifies six broad areas from which we draw inspiration and wisdom:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
When we come together in covenant we remember that our greatest gift to each other is the gift of respecting and celebrating these differences, supporting the many different ways that we find our way to ultimate values, leaving room for styles and preferences other than our own.
Most often, our services follow the traditional Protestant worship format: readings, hymns, prayer/meditation, offertory, and sermon. Sermon topics vary widely but all address the spiritual needs of the gathered community. Sermon topics over the course of a year will touch on our UU history and tradition, contemporary social, ethical and justice issues, the nature of our community, and personal spiritual growth and transformation. Most often the sermon is delivered by the minister. However, our commitment to shared ministry means that the pulpit is also open to Worship Associates and other members of the congregation and the community.
On some Sundays we depart from our usual sermon centered format and conduct services that are centered on readings and reflections, chanting, participatory sharing, and rituals.
All are welcome to join us for Sunday worship.