I have a lot of anxiety and I’m wondering if it’s really ok to just show up on Sunday? Should I email or call before the first time I go? I don’t know how active it is or what’s expected of me. I’m sure I’m over thinking this lol.

I watch a service from the town over online so I have a little bit of knowledge. But I really want to go to a service in person. I don’t know what I’m really looking for. Maybe some reassurance or stories from your first time at a service?

I've just discovered uu and am looking for online support as there is no uu churches in my areas.

Let's look back at some memorable moments and interesting insights from last year.

Your top 10 posts:

• "There's a couple more I could think of, but I ran out of Spidermans." by u/5135kensington
• "Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo" by u/Nativereqular
• "60 years ago today, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America formally consolidated to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Here's a photo from 1961 regarding the occasion." by u/5135kensington
• "The Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas just celebrated our 60th anniversary and we're getting a facelift!" by u/elluvadeal
• "Some hUUmor for your Saturday" by u/doxymoronic
• "Made myself a chalice to use while my community continues to meet online!" by u/ajastr
• "Canadian Unitarians have adopted an 8th principle" by u/prescod
• "Atheists who attend UU?" by u/ilikeanimeandcats
• "Is anyone else here an OWL (Our Whole Lives) graduate? Could we talk about how the program has affected your dating life and friendships?" by u/a_tired_scientist
• "The UUA Decries Anti-Asian Violence" by u/hallelooya

Lately, I have been a spiritual wanderer sort to speak attempting to find a place that best fits my understanding of spirituality, ethics, morals, etc.

For while (since 2016), I’ve been as involved as I can with many religious communities attempting to find what fit the best.

Admittedly, I was reluctant to embrace the UU church. Not because it was a bad option, quite the contrary actually, but because I felt for some reason my beliefs already existed in full in some crevice of a pre-established religion with it’s own book or doctrine detailing a comprehensive theology, etc.

To my dismay that doesn’t seem to be the case. Atleast not in a mainstream sense.

I come from a Mahayana Buddhist background. The Dharmic religions always seemed to have made the most sense to me but I’ve always appreciated Abrahamic religions as well. I still have a great interest in them.

I also am very much interested in the occult and esoteric world concepts. I also have a background in New Ageism and upon recently learning it’s esoteric ties I enjoy their ideas very much.

Ultimately, because I haven’t made a decision I lack what I really want in a religion which is a sense of community to share and discuss beliefs with people but also put into practice in a very real and tangible way of helping people.

It does concern me how UU doesn’t have a holy text, rituals, etc but that’s only because that’s what I often associate a religious body to have. However, I guess in this case it’s a good thing because it alleviates the church from being dogmatic.

Our nuclear family is mixed faith. I was raised Catholic, still consider myself Catholic, but I am also a perennialist, who respects and loves to study the truth at the core of all faiths.

Would it be frowned upon to take my family to a UUC, while I continue to go to church from time to time at my Catholic parish as well?

I grew up in a UU church and now learning about the Outdoor Service Guides! r/outdoorserviceguides it seems that that organization’s values line up great with how I understand UU. I’m thinking that having organized activities not centered on churchiness would be fun and help make UU more popular/accessible. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks!

I'm currently reading "Testimony: The Transformative Power of Unitarian Universalism" edited by Meg Riley. It is a great book! I've found it to be so encouraging to my faith. My family officially joined our local UU Church last Sunday after about a year of virtually attending. I'm so glad we have finally found a place to belong.

I'd love to hear your story! What brought you to Unitarian Universalism? How has it changed your life over the years?

It's a very rare occurrence, but I have seen it both in my life and others. I initially made posts regarding this in the Christian subs, but the replies were overly monotheistic in nature (if you worship more than one God you're going to have a bad time, etc)

I discuss God a lot with people in general and my therapist in particular (who is Christian, but knows I am UU) God/Higher Power/Divinity etc has made His/Her/Their presence made known in my life in many ways, but NGL this has been a really bad year for me so far, so I am praying for myself and loved ones a lot. (I pray everyday and have for about 2 decades now)

I have had questions directly answered before, and also...not. I feel I have a generally good relationship with The Great Big Thing, and obviously He/She/They are not some kind of cosmic slot machine you put prayer coins into and expect a big payoff...that would be very disrespectful. But yet I continue to pray and have faith because...we're all on this Big Blue Boat together, and bound by something greater than all of us.

How was your service today? Did you have an Ingathering service? If so, what did that look like?