UU

July 7, 2009 10:46 PM

Looking for a good Unitarian Universalist church.

I couldn't help but be interested in this recent question, especially since it describes my own beliefs and doubts well. After seeing so many people chime in with Unitarian Universalist, I'm thinking of exploring it a bit. Does anyone know of a good UU church in the Boston/Cambridge area (or how to go about looking for one? Do I attend a couple of Sunday services at different places and see what I like? Never belonged to a church before, so I'm at a loss). I tried the finder on the UU site, but the sheer number of churches that came up on the search scared me a bit. I'm posting anonymously because if I try out a few churches, I kind of don't want it to get linked back to my mefi account, if that makes any sense. Thanks.

posted by anonymous to religion & philosophy (19 comments total)

Do I attend a couple of Sunday services at different places and see what I like?

I can't specifically recommend anything in Boston, but you can definitely show up to services at as many churches as you like until you find one that fits. You don't even really have to pick just one to settle down with. In my church-going days, there were often people or families who would occasionally go to services in other churches (not necessarily the same denomination even) for just whatever reason. Most mainstream churches are open and friendly and love to have people drop by, UUs possibly more than most. If you're nervous about protocol at any one place check out the church's website before going; they might well have a section for first time visitors.
posted by frobozz at 11:01 PM on July 7

I was recently officially "ingathered" into the Unitarian Universalist fellowship. There is a smaller concentration of UU congregations where I live, in the San Francisco Bay Area, than where you are, in the birthplace of the church.

I visited another local UU church a few times and enjoyed it, but we started attending and later joined officially a more local fellowship after moving to a new city in the region, and the community aspect of belonging to a church we could walk to won out over every other factor, for our family. I was also especially drawn to the small size of our congregation, although the larger church we originally visited was also wonderfully warm and welcoming.

You may find variance from congregation to congregation in terms of the types of people who attend--are there a lot of singles, a lot of families, a lot of older people? It may not be worth it for you to consider proximity as a factor if the closest fellowship is comprised mainly of people with whom you have less in common. This is something you can discover by visiting several different churches. I do recommend that you try each church a couple of times, because UU's tend to be pretty free and easy with attendance, especially in the summer--these are people for whom camping and traveling and seeing the world may hold as much importance in a spiritual sense as regular church attendance might for people of other faith groups, and summer is a natural time to take advantage of this opportunity. One Sunday service may be sparse, the next may be a huge deal. Calling and speaking to the minister, office manager, or RE director can help you get a feel for what is going on on any given Sunday.

Our fellowship is small but pretty diverse, and I am absolutely crazy about it, in the feel-free-to-MeMail-me sense. I love the music, I love the socializing, I love what my children get out of it, I absolutely live for the moments I spend in quiet surrender with my fellow members.
posted by padraigin at 11:03 PM on July 7 [1 favorite]

Boston and Cambridge are loaded with UU churches, and because it is the home of UU in the US, I have a feeling the range of types of church experiences is going to be greater than in most places. Everything from very liberal modern churches, to older, staid churches that are almost indistinguishable from mainline Christian churches (except maybe not saying 'Jesus' quite so much). So, I would very much recommend trying as many as you feel you need to until you find a fit. The UUA has a congregation finder here that should help get you started.
posted by munichmaiden at 4:34 AM on July 8

There are a lot more UU congregations in New England than anywhere else, because of the deep Congregationalist/Unitarian roots in that area (First Church of Boston, founded by the Puritans in 16-something, is now a UU church).

But be aware, UUism in the Northeast can be a different stripe because of that long history. Instead of the stereotypical laid-back, earth-mama types, you get a lot of fussy old folks. Now, of course, this is not universally true, but you can't make the normal assumptions you might about UUs elsewhere. The buildings can be old and gothic, the worship style can be stuffy and high-handed, the music can be old organ hymns that nobody sings. It can be especially hard for newcomers in this type of UU church.

Please don't be scared off, just be prepared to visit a lot of congregations, or get a personal recommendation from someone who knows the landscape specifically. Any spiritual community is always going to be a mixed bag, and that goes double for UUism. There's so much history in Boston, and UUA headquarters is right next to the State Capitol on Beacon Hill. I wish you luck!
posted by rikschell at 4:38 AM on July 8

Just a heads up - many of the older Boston congregations can feel much more church like then congregations outside of New England. That can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. I'd also always worry about the demographics of congregations. I jokingly tell my mom they are like the Shakers because even though they reproduce none of their children stay in the congregation. I'm in my mid 30's and have lots of UU friends from growing up and almost none of them are members even the ones with RE aged kids. I think a lot of congregations are aging rapidly.
posted by JPD at 4:42 AM on July 8

Several of my friends go to the First Parish Church in Cambridge and like it a lot. It doesn't seem to have that "stuffy" feeling that people are talking about above, maybe because it attracts a lot of grad students, etc?
posted by cider at 4:46 AM on July 8

I grew up in the First Parish UU church in Lexington, MA. It's not super close (I don't know how far you want to go), but it was a great place for kids in the 90's, at the very least. The whole congregation put on these wonderful original musicals, with people of all ages acting and singing, making the costumes, writing the music, playing and directing the orchestra, etc. We also used to have these huge craft fairs where people with craft know-how would run little booths so that others could try their hand at some cool craft. I know I enjoyed the services and the "Sunday School" part of the deal (which was really cool - we learned about all the world religions and I never felt the least bit pressured), but I can't really say what it was like from an adult perspective.

I live in Cambridge now too, and I'm not sure I'd want to go to Lexington every week unless I had a car, but maybe you have one.
posted by Cygnet at 4:54 AM on July 8

I'm not even remotely religious, and yet I always wanted to go to services at the Arlington Street (UU) Church, at the corner of Arlington and Boylston on the edge of Back Bay because it's beautiful. Maybe the congregation also agrees with you?
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:57 AM on July 8

Seconding the Arlington Street Church was home to the first ever gay marriage (recognized by a state), so if that's the kind of congregation you're looking for, that what you'll find! They are lovely people, and it's a beautiful building.
posted by rtha at 6:05 AM on July 8

I nth the recommendation that you shop around. It's not like UU churchgoers are going to be offended by your search for a spiritual home, after all if they were they wouldn't be UU's now would they?
posted by Pollomacho at 6:46 AM on July 8 [3 favorites]

It's about an hour away, but South Church in Portsmouth is a good church. They're between Rev.s right now, but the congregation is great - very active, age-diverse, friendly. Attendance is usually very good and in summer they have two services, a 9:00 and an 11:00 with coffee and snacks in between.

I agree with those who say New England Unitarians are a bit more 'churchy' than Unitarians in other parts of the country. In many respects, the service feels and looks like a basic mainline Protestant service - only it's not. The theology is decidedly universalist.

Driving an hour for church may seem extreme, but on the other hand, it's pretty uplifting if you're into it, so it can be worth it. You might think about making a daytrip just to check it out. The nice thing is that Portsmouth is a nice place to spend the day, so if you came up for a service, you would then enjoy sticking around for lunch, walk in the park, poking around in shops, etc. If you like the church it might not be nuts to do that once a month or so.
posted by Miko at 7:02 AM on July 8

I have a friend who works at King's Chapel, and she has nothing but good things to say about it. It's a really old church steeped in a lot of history, and it's conveniently located downtown. I don't know anything about the services, but she says the ministers are really awesome.

You can always visit as a tourist to get your feet wet and see if it's a good place for you.
posted by giraffe at 7:50 AM on July 8

King's Chapel is lovely - but it is the churchiest congregation in the entire denomination I bet.
posted by JPD at 8:23 AM on July 8

Also this
agree with those who say New England Unitarians are a bit more 'churchy' than Unitarians in other parts of the country. In many respects, the service feels and looks like a basic mainline Protestant service - only it's not. The theology is decidedly universalist.

Is not necessarily correct. For example King's Chapel is essentially an anti-trinitarian anglican congregation. There is nothing about universal salvation going on there.
posted by JPD at 8:34 AM on July 8

King's Chapel is an independent church--Anglican in liturgy, congregational in polity, and Unitarian Universalist Christian in theology.
posted by Miko at 9:13 AM on July 8

From what you say, it sounds like First Church Cambridge, the Arlington Street Church, or First Church Jamaica Plain are going to be your best bets.

Go to a service or two at each, and at any others that appeal, and decide which feels like the best fit. Read the newsletter, go to the coffee hours, and join in with the public service works.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:42 AM on July 8

Oh, and someone up above mentioned summer services - check into this. Most UU's kind of take the summer off. Summer services are often lay-led, relaxed, and more sparsely attended than those during the rest of the year. As a kid, we were kind of always told that the summer was for communing with nature and the wonder of creation - not for sitting in a stuffy church talking about it. (This was at a UU church in Minnesota.) So, services you visit now might be very different from what they are like when Church is in session.
posted by munichmaiden at 1:45 PM on July 8

absurd

Freeman, who had been influenced by Unitarian theology, revised the chapel's Anglican Book of Common Prayer to reflect Unitarian beliefs. And thus in 1787, King's Chapel became the first Unitarian church in America--and one of the few churches to come to Unitarianism from Anglicanism, rather than Congregationalism.

not universalist

Yet the members of King's Chapel unite under a covenant, rather than creed or doctrine.

In the love of the truth, and the spirit of Jesus Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of man. No talk of lack of original sin

Our congregation's prayerbook, "The Book of Common Prayer According to the Use in King's Chapel," is unique. The first edition was published in 1785 under the ministry of the Rev. James Freeman. At that time the congregation voted to make certain changes to the 1662 Anglican prayerbook then in use in order to give expression to a classical Unitarian Christian theology. Among other things the recitation of a creed was omitted and the prayers were directed to God alone. In the words of the Preface to the current (ninth) edition of the Prayerbook published in 1986: "The resulting liturgy is both reformed and catholic. It is reformed because it is based on Scripture and is open to periodic amendment. It is catholic, as the early Unitarians used this word, because it includes a broad spectrum of Christian beliefs and is open to many interpretations." Only difference is omission of the Trinity - unitarian. Not universalist. Anglicans don't have universal salvation.

There are old churches in NE that come from universalist roots as well - such as South Church did evidently. I know the Southold NY congregation was originally Universalist as well.
posted by JPD at 4:08 PM on July 8

one of the few churches to come to Unitarianism from Anglicanism, rather than Congregationalism.

What a strange thing to say as Puritan Congregationalists were Anglicans. The rift and eventual split created the distinction between those that believed in political control in the hands of the congregation and those who remained tied to the Anglican Communion and its bishop-centric, Romanesque ways: the Episcopalians. (Note: this also distinguishes them from those that shared political power in individual church ministers, aka Presbyters, and secular congregational leaders - you can guess what they are called)
posted by Pollomacho at 7:40 AM on July 9