Aiken Unitarian Universalist Church

08/29/2026

Beloveds, if you are able, I hope you will watch this Sunday as NASA launches their Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, designed to explore some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, including dark energy.

The telescope is named for lifelong and devoted Unitarian and later Unitarian Universalist, who was also NASA’s first chief astronomer, Nancy Grace Roman. A longtime member of the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation RRUUC in Bethesda, MD, Roman was as committed to serving her community, especially around issues of poverty and food insecurity, as she was to fearlessly advancing science in her role at NASA.

Details about the launch are in the story linked in the comments below.

08/27/2026

NOTE: Someone tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Sunday service. Please check for symptoms and take a rapid test.

Because the virus spreads rapidly in indoor, communal spaces, taking proactive steps protects both you and the rest of your community.👥

Immediate Steps to TakeTest

Immediately: Take an at-home rapid antigen test, especially if you feel unwell or if it has been 3 to 5 days since Sunday.

Monitor for Symptoms: Watch for standard signs like a fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, or loss of taste and smell.

Mask Up: Wear a high-quality mask (like an N95 or KN95) if you must go out in public, to prevent potential asymptomatic spread.

Stay Home if Sick: If you have even mild symptoms, stay home from work, school, and upcoming church activities.

Isolate if Positive: If your test comes back positive, follow standard isolation protocols and notify anyone you have been in close contact with.

08/27/2026

The flaming chalice has important historic significance as a signal of safer spaces and assistance on the path to freedom; and for me, it is also a fiery reminder of the commitments of this faith.

Unitarian Universalism challenges me to make use of my own freedom, my own privilege, my own values and reason to understand that what I might risk on any given day is just my one small part in the possibility of human goodness and liberation that we preach and teach about in troubled times. These commitments invite every one of us to risk what we think we know about the power of love in the world for greater freedoms, greater justice... for nothing less than liberation for all.

As we explore what it means to hold love at the center of our faith, how might we bring hope home in times like these? Can we offer some aspect of our own spirits to others to help them keep going; to respond to rising hatred with mutual care?

As we come together in this freely chosen faith centered on love, let us hold fast to a spirit that never leaves us, and offer to one another and to our surrounding communities the kind of love that frees.

08/27/2026

A powerful work of art can help us remember what must not be forgotten—and ask what repair requires of us now.

At King’s Chapel in Boston, “Unbound,” a 14-foot bronze and granite sculpture by artist Harmonia Rosales, honors the 219 people enslaved by past members and ministers of the congregation. The memorial is part of King’s Chapel’s broader effort to confront its history, including ongoing work centered on reparative justice and reconciliation.

Read more in UUWorld at the link in the comments.

08/26/2026

Finish the sentence: You know you’re at a UU church when ______.

Every UU congregation has those little moments that make you think, “Yep, I’m definitely at a UU church.” 😄

What’s yours? Drop them in the comments—we want to hear them! 🔥💛

08/22/2026

Federal court records have revealed that the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis was among Minnesota churches and community organizations secretly surveilled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Unitarian Universalist Association condemns this intrusion into a house of worship and the targeting of people exercising their constitutional rights to organize, dissent, and act according to their faith.

First Universalist has been clear that this surveillance will not deter its ministry or its commitment to its neighbors. As Rev. Jen Crow told UU World, “We are not surprised and we are not daunted because we are clear about who we are and what we do.”

Our faith calls us to courageous, prophetic work—and to act together against intimidation, government overreach, and attacks on the right to organize peacefully.

Read more about what court records reveal, First Universalist’s response, and the UUA’s statement in UU World at the link in the comments.

08/15/2026

BREAKING: Between December 2025 and May 2026, DHS sent undercover agents into at least five churches, according to court documents.

Their targets were Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, and Unitarian Universalist churches in the Twin Cities and Michigan that hosted activism trainings and organizing meetings.

Houses of worship are sacred sites. The Department of Homeland Security MUST STOP spying on churches immediately.

Sign our petition here: https://support.interfaithalliance.org/a/dhs-spying

08/14/2026

Unitarian Universalists are people who love. Climate Justice is how we practice loving our world. Elio Farley, Side With Love Climate Justice Fellow, will kick off our fall Green Sanctuary community meetings by grounding us in Unitarian Universalist organizing frameworks. Together we will learn practical tools for approaching love as our strategy, ethic, and spiritual practice. In these times of fires and floods, we must courageously love. --- Guided by UU values, the Green Sanctuary community nurtures resilient, thriving communities through climate actions that prioritize justice. All are invited to join our monthly community meetings to learn together, support each other, and celebrate progress.

Unitarian Universalists are people who love. Climate Justice is how we practice loving our world. ❤️‍🔥 [heart on fire]

We invite you to join us virtually on Wednesday, August 19 at 7pm ET for our first Green Sanctuary community meeting of the year, Love is the Framework for Climate Justice!

Elio Farley, our Side With Love Climate Justice Fellow, will kick off our fall Green Sanctuary community meetings by grounding us in Unitarian Universalist organizing frameworks. Together we will learn practical tools for approaching love as our strategy, ethic, and spiritual practice. In these times of fires and floods, we must courageously love.

Guided by UU values, the Green Sanctuary community nurtures resilient, thriving communities through climate actions that prioritize justice. All are invited to join our monthly community meetings to learn together, support each other, and celebrate progress.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/Do5q9QNPFEmu9vhA13uOTw2

Image description: Light green event flyer with a dark green border and bold green brushstroke in the background. At the top is a large Green Sanctuary logo, a lit chalice with a leaf flame, and green text that says "Community Meeting." Dark blue text in a white box below reads, "Love is the Framework for Climate Justice." Below the text is a row of stickers representing the Four Essentials of climate justice: Mitigation (down arrow with caution sign and up arrow with heart), Community Resilience (two people holding a seedling), Justice (hand holding scales), and Congregational Transformation (flame with a heart at the center). Black text at the bottom reads, "Wednesday, August 19. 1 HT - 3 AKT - 4 PT - 5 MT - 6 CT - 7 ET."

08/14/2026

At Newton Correctional Facility in Iowa, incarcerated men have formed the Newton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship—a growing UU community within the prison centered on worship, reflection, belonging, and shared values.

The fellowship formally launched in 2025 and now includes nearly 30 members who gather regularly for spiritual community and connection.

As Rev. Dr. Michael Tino of the Church of the Larger Fellowship reflects, this ministry offers something profoundly counter to a prison system that so often defines people by their worst actions: a reminder of dignity, the possibility of transformation, and the power of love-centered community.

The Newton fellowship is also a reminder that Unitarian Universalism can take root anywhere people choose covenant, connection, and hope.

Read more in UU World at the link in the comments.