Worship & Services
Join us onsite in Marblehead or on Zoom this Sunday for our weekly service.
Upcoming services:
February 1st 10:30am - “Shattered Dreams, Infinite Hope: A Tragic Vision of the Civil Rights Movement"
We Unitarian Universalists are often thrilled when we hear someone quote the phrase, “the arc of the universe is long and I cannot see the end, but from what I can see, it bends toward justice.” We are proud because this phrase originates with the nineteenth century Boston abolitionist and transcendentalist minister Theodore Parker, though it found its way into the speeches of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
However, more recent historians have disparaged Parker’s quote and sought to put the Civil Rights movement in a different historical context. A new book by a Harvard professor named Brandon M. Terry argues that some of us, particularly white Americans, are inclined to see the era as a heroic and romantic series of events, while others of us are inclined to see it through the lens of irony, while Terry maintains that the truest lens through which to see the Civil Rights Movement is that of tragedy.
We will consider his reasons on February 1, which is the first Sunday in Black History Month
Hope to see some of you at 28 Mugford or on the screens therein.
Sunday Services
Recent Sermons & Services
What to Expect
Join us online (via Zoom) or onsite in Marblehead for our weekly Sunday service. To join online now, click below. To learn more about visiting us, see our visit page.
We gather in worship to find meaning and live more deeply. Worship creates connections within, among, and beyond us, calling us to our better selves, calling us to live with wisdom and compassion.
Unitarian Universalist worship styles vary by congregation, and even within congregations. Some congregations’ worship is contemporary and high tech. Some congregations’ worship is traditional and formal. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead we try to find a balance of both. Our congregation’s worship is vibrant, dynamic, and multigenerational.
Elements of a typical Unitarian Universalist Sunday morning worship service include:
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Words of welcome
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Lighting a flaming chalice, the symbol of our faith
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A multigenerational segment, such as a “story for all ages”
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Music, both instrumental and vocal and in a variety of styles
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A time for lifting up the joys and concerns of the congregation
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A meditation or prayer
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Readings—ancient or contemporary
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A sermon given by our minister, a guest speaker, or a member of the congregation
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An offering, collecting financial donations for the congregation or for justice work in the community.
From time to time, worships incorporate holiday celebrations, multigenerational plays and pageants, longer musical performances, child dedications, and coming-of-age ceremonies. We offer childcare and learning programs for children and youth during the Sunday service.