Unitarian Universalist
Congregation in Milford

About Unitarian Universalism

What Unitarian Universalists Believe and Practice

Unitarian Universalists (UU’s) are united by ethical principles and the view that each person’s own religious and spiritual journey shapes her/his individual faith. We support one another’s faith journeys as a worship community subscribing to and promoting seven important principles:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another, and encouragement to grow in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and use of the democratic process;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

At the core of all these principles is the ethic of kindness as we practice right relationship with one another and the wider community of earth. The affirmation which our congregation shares each Sunday morning expresses this well:

Love is the doctrine of this church,

the quest of truth is its sacrament,

and service is its prayer.

To dwell together in peace,

to seek knowledge in freedom,

to serve human need ---

to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the sacred

--this do we affirm and covenant with each other.

 

An important part of our religious belief and practice is offering each other mutual care in times of personal and community crisis. Our hope is that no one will feel as though they stand alone. In this way our congregations offer a cure for loneliness. As we sing each Sunday morning:

Draw the circle wide

Draw it wider still

Let this be our song

No one stands alone,

Standing side by side

Draw the circle wide.

(a song by Gordon Light)

 

Sources From Which We Draw Our Traditions

• Jewish and Christian teachings call us to love our neighbors as ourselves;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men challenge us to confront evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from other world religions inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Humanist teachings counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and science;
• Direct experiences of mystery, wonder, and beauty renew the spirit and keep us open to the forces that create and uphold life;
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

The History of Unitarian Universalism

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) formed in 1961 by merger of two separate, but similar, denominations: The American Unitarian Association and the American Universalist Association.

Unitarianism grew from the conviction that God is one unified whole, rather than three parts, thus the name Unitarian. This faith was first articulated in the early days of the Christian church by Origen and Arian. It was suppressed by the early church and emerged again in Poland and Romania during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. It later traveled to England and then to the United States where noted figures such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott were active and influential in its development.

Universalism began in England as a faith affirming universal salvation, a faith that God is a God of love who would not consign any soul to eternal punishment. This religion traveled to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New England in the late 1700's and flourished in this country.

Each of the two denominations always encouraged use of conscience and an individual’s responsible search for truth and meaning, refusing to be limited by fixed creeds or doctrines. This holds true today as we affirm the ongoing potential for human reason and experience to formulate new religious insights, even as we affirm that the ultimate mysteries of life, death, and creation may never be fully known or captured in a final statement of truth.

How Unitarian Universalist Congregations Are Organized

Each individual Unitarian Universalist Congregation is owned and governed entirely by its voting members. Each Unitarian Universalist congregation has a unique personality and is autonomous in its decision-making.

The purpose of the Unitarian Universalist Association is to provide some centralized services and coordination. For example, the UUA provides religious education materials, ministerial training/accreditation, and a national/international presence.

The UUA offers opportunities for congregational leaders to gather and share ideas and resources in all aspects of congregational life, such as worship, pastoral care, youth ministry, continuing education and administration.

We also join with other UU congregations to affirm and promote our principles in the wider world.

To Learn More About Unitarian Universalism

There are three excellent ways to learn more about Unitarian Universalism.

• Watch Voices of a Liberal Faith on YouTube
• Check out the information and resources available through the UUA.
• Another is to visit one or more UU churches to see first-hand who we are and how we combine a unique blend of personal inquiry, community worship and mutual care during times of personal and community crisis. .

You are always welcome at any UU church, and the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Milford (UUCM) look forward to welcoming you for a Sunday service or other event.

To Become a Member of a Unitarian Universalist Church

Most people come to know Unitarian Universalism through friends and acquaintances they discover to be UU’s and by visiting UU congregations to check them out. You are welcome to attend our Sunday morning services and participate in other programs on an ongoing basis as a friend without having to formally join the church as a voting member.

Visitors to UUCM are invited to attend the Pathway to Membership program that will introduce you to Unitarian Universalism and UUCM. This is a wonderful way to get to know more people at UUCM and you will learn about the rights and responsibilities of voting membership. If you decide to become a voting member, you can do so by signing the membership book in the Minister’s study, or during the New Member Recognition Potluck, which is held in the spring.

The church then notifies the UUA that you have become a member so that you can receive the UUWorld magazine and other topical information.