Minister's Musing
In our congregation we celebrate Solstice with story and art and singing, we celebrate Chanukah with candles and reciting blessings and song, and we celebrate Christmas with candlelight and caroling and old stories. One holy day is about the returning of the light, one story is about the unexpected sustaining of the light, one story is about a new light breaking into the world. Each tradition is distinct and singular and they seem to be in conversation. I sometimes say all our religions are earth-based religions because we all live on this earth and live with the cycles of life and light that are part of earthly life.
In a Unitarian Universalist Congregation we have a particular gift of being able to hold all those traditions and all those stories together. As a UU congregation we have members who are of Jewish heritage, people who are of a strong Christian heritage, people who have walked away from a Christian heritage, and people who are deeply earth based. We all sit together on Sunday mornings, we honor the light in each other’s eyes and souls, and we honor the truth in each other’s traditions. We have a Solstice Service every year on the Sunday closest to the first day of winter, we have a candlelight service on Christmas Eve, and we Celebrate Chanukah on the Sunday that falls during that eight day Festival. I think we are at the beginning of a re-weaving, a re-imagining of what it means to celebrate these festivals of light. I am glad that you are part of the conversation, glad that you are part of this circle of light.
Welcome Yule! Chanuka Sameach! Peace on Earth
