Charnwood Unitarian Fellowship
"A liberal religious fellowship in the heart of the Midlands"
Welcome
Can you imagine what a religion that welcomes all, regardless of beliefs might be like?
Charnwood Unitarian Fellowship is a new religious alternative for the people of Charnwood;
- People who seek openness and respect for all regardless of colour, creed, or sexuality.
- People who seek an inquiring religion.
- People who respect all the world faiths.
Something new, but with a historic tradition
Unitarianism has a long and proud tradition in the area. The Loughborough Congregation can trace its history back to the Great Ejection of 1662. However, the open and radical nature of Unitarianism makes it forever vital and relevant to its day. In our modern and multi-cultural society Unitarians espouse pluralism and respect for all the great religious traditions. Unitarians have long stood for inter-faith dialogue being founder members of the International Association for Religious Freedom.
Not creeds, but principles that hold us together
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- 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.
What ceremonies do Unitarians observe?
Our ceremonies, of marriage and starting a new family, naming or dedicating our children, and memorialising our dead, are phrased in simple, contemporary language.
We observe these rites in community, not because they are required by some rule or dogma, but because in them we may voice our affection, hopes, and dedication.
Though practices vary in our congregations and change over time, Unitarians celebrate many of the great religious holidays with enthusiasm. Whether we gather to celebrate Christmas, Passover, or the Hindu holiday Divali, we do so in a universal context, recognizing and honouring religious observances and festivals as innate and needful in all human cultures.
What do Unitarians believe?
At a Unitarian (Universalist) worship service or meeting, you are likely to find members whose positions on faith may be derived from a variety of religious beliefs: Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, naturist, atheist, or agnostic.
Members might tell you that they are religious humanists, liberal Christians, or world religionists.
All these people, and others who label their beliefs still differently, are faithful Unitarians committed to the practice of free religion. We worship, sing, play, study, teach, and work for social justice together as congregations, all the while remaining strong in our individual convictions.
Where might we find inspiration?
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbours as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
What do Unitarians mean by God?
Unitarians recognise that the word 'God' has no single definition, that it may be used to describe:
- What a person or faith-community feels to be the ultimate in their own belief system
- What is of supreme worth and significance in their own lives.
- Unitarians do not claim the right to define God for others.
These are some of the ways in which they describe and experience God:
- As a universal father or mother.
- As a unifying and life-giving spirit, reflective of both masculine and feminine.
- As the source of all being, within which the creative process is unfolding.
- As a primarily inward reality, the "still, small voice".
- As a symbol for the noblest visions and aspirations of humankind, the standard against which to measure ourselves.
- As a 'great mystery' about which little can be said.
- Some Unitarians find the word 'God' meaningless, or believe it too debased by misuse to have any value.
When/where do we meet?
The Charnwood Unitarian Fellowship is currently meeting in members homes on the first
Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to join with us.
Charnwood,
Belper, and Derby calendar
Our minister is Rev Chris Goacher, the East Midland Unitarians Partnership Minister. If you would like further information on Unitarianism or details of our next meeting please feel free to contact him on 01332 732171. Alternately contact our webmaster.
A few well-known Unitarians
- Henry Thoreau
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Charles Dickens
- Beatrix Potter
- Edvard Grieg
- Ray Bradbury
- Pete Seeger
- Bela Bartok
- Charles Darwin
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- e.e.Cummings
- Christopher Reeve (Actor)
- Tim Berners-Lee (Founder of the World Wide Web)
- Sylvia Plath (Poet)
- Elizabeth Gaskell (Author)
- Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
- Harriet Martineau
- T.S.Eliot
- Maurice Wilkins (discover of DNA)
Webmaster:
Now visit some of our other East Midland web pages
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