Typical Order of Service

Some people wonder what goes on in a typical Unitarian Universalist service. Here is a point-by-point list. Most UU congregations have most of these items most of the time, although probably not in this exact order. Our services usually take an hour and a quarter. We have:

• Welcome, by a member of the Board of Trustees.
  
  
• Opening words.
  
  
• Prelude, by our pianist.
  
  
• We light our chalice, the symbol of our faith.
  
  
• An opening hymn.
  
  
• A responsive reading.
  
  
• A short parable for the children, after which they leave for their classes.
  
  
• Sharing - We invite people to light a candle and share their Joys and Sorrows with the congregation.
  
  
• The morning offering.
  
  
• Meditation, in three parts: a reflective reading, a period of silent mediation or prayer, and a hymn.
  
  
• A reading.
  
  
• A sermon. If you wonder what we talk about, the
  Sunday Services has eight recent and upcoming "sermon blurbs",
  Minister's Sermons has a dozen full sermons and
  Guest Sermons has two dozen.
  
  
• A closing hymn.
  
  
• We extinguish our chalice.
  
  
• Closing words.
  
  
• Postlude, by our pianist.
  
  
• Introductions and Announcements. We invite newcomers to introduce themselves. It is an invitation, not a requirement. We have a few brief announcements afterwards.
  
  
• Coffee and conversation.
  
  

That's it!

We stand for hymns and responsive readings. The minister or service leader will always ask the congregation to stand and to be seated. You don't have to worry about knowing when to stand or sit. We don't genuflect. We don't kneel to pray. If you are a first-time visitor, you can sit towards the back, watch what other people do, and fit right in.

[Ed. Note: I was on the board of trustees for four years. Trustees rotate through "Mike Duty", which means they make the welcoming announcement at the start of the service and the community announcements at the end. About half the time I had Mike Duty I found myself making an announcement at the end to warn first-time visitors "This wasn't a typical service..."

We had an all-joke service one April Fool's Day. We tried some Wiccan chants and dance steps once. We have an all-hymn service every year. We have a Blessing of the Animals service every two to three years. We have had panel discussions and slide shows. We have had talks given by a man who really is a rocket scientist, which were more like college lectures than sermons. We haven't had a "Quaker Silence" service yet, but we could.]