Archives: Services

Awe and Wonder

Awe and wonder, those moments of “wow”, can reduce stress, boost creativity, and increase connection and happiness. Let’s have a conversation about what they mean to you and practical ways to intentionally engage in awe and wonder. Seeking and finding that sense of the profound, beauty, vastness, appreciation, and increased curiosity are so very good for us. We look forward to hearing some of your own experiences. Meet in person at CVUU or online through Zoom on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Fire Communion

Join us for a meaningful and powerful ceremony to mark the start of 2026. During the service, you’ll have the chance to write down something you want to let go of—whether it’s a bad habit, a painful memory, or anything else holding you back. You can choose to share what you’re releasing with the congregation or simply place your paper in the bowl. Then, we’ll head outside together for the dramatic and symbolic burning of these slips of paper, setting our intentions for a fresh start. Don’t miss this unique and inspiring tradition—let’s release the old and welcome the new, together! Meet in person at CVUU or online through Zoom … Continue reading Fire Communion

“The Holy Family” by J. Sylvan at SLC Unitarian

This Sunday, we’ll hear a broadcast sermon offering a fresh perspective on the “Holy Family,” drawn from the Gospel of James. Also known as the Protoevangelium of James, this second-century infancy gospel tells the story of the miraculous conception of Mary, her upbringing, her betrothal to Joseph, and the birth of Jesus. In this telling, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are far from a conventional family—and certainly not what we might imagine as “ideal.” Yet perhaps that is the point. When we hold too tightly to our own images of what a family should be, we risk overlooking the sacredness of families as they truly are. May we learn to recognize … Continue reading “The Holy Family” by J. Sylvan at SLC Unitarian

Solstice Celebration

Join us for a participatory Solstice Celebration Service. An alternative service format will use symbolic darkness to create space for new light, while CVUU’s “greatest hit” songs and chants from past solstice services will be included and readings will be contemplated. This year, our Solstice Celebration Service falls on Solstice Day – we hope to see you there! Meet in person at CVUU or online through Zoom on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Choosing Hope

What is hope? It is a hunch that the [overwhelming nature of reality] is not the last word. Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists. People speak of hope as if it is this delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spider’s webs. It’s not. Hope has holes in its pockets. It leaves little crumb trails so that we, when anxious, can follow it. Hope’s secret: it doesn’t know the destination— it knows only that all roads begin with one foot in front of the other. Hope reassures, but it also emboldens. It doesn’t just offer us … Continue reading Choosing Hope

Talk Among the Trees

To be an animist is to understand that the world is full of persons, only some of whom are human. In the American West, contemporary herbalists are developing relationships with plants they understand as conscious, communicative beings—not simply as medicinal resources to be extracted. This practice represents a form of vernacular religion, where knowledge emerges through direct relationship with plant persons rather than textual authority or formal training. Join folklore master’s student Susannah Keate for a discussion about being in relationship to humans, the earth, animals, and our other-than-human kin in a way that encourages respect and reciprocity. Susannah Keate is making a career transition from tech to folklore studies, … Continue reading Talk Among the Trees