Spiritual life at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland grows through community, reflection, learning, and action. We gather each week for worship, but our spiritual lives extend far beyond Sunday mornings.

Some people find spiritual grounding through worship and music. Others through learning, small groups, service, or work for justice in the wider community. Many people discover that their spiritual lives grow through relationships—with one another and with the world around us.

At UUCC, we believe that each person’s spiritual journey is unique. Our congregation includes people from many religious backgrounds as well as those who grew up without a religious tradition at all. What brings us together is a shared commitment to seeking meaning, caring for one another, and working toward a more just and compassionate world.

Wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome to explore, question, and grow here.

Unitarian Universalism is a religious tradition that encourages people to seek truth and meaning in ways that are thoughtful, compassionate, and open to discovery.

Unlike many faith traditions, Unitarian Universalism is non-creedal. We do not require members to affirm a single set of beliefs. Instead, we come together in covenant—promising to support one another as we explore life’s deepest questions.

Our congregations include people with many perspectives: religious, spiritual, humanist, atheist, agnostic, and more. What unites us is a shared commitment to living our values through compassion, justice, and care for the world around us.

Unitarian Universalism draws wisdom from many sources, including the world’s religions, human experience, scientific understanding, and the natural world. Together we learn from these sources while supporting one another’s individual spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists seek to live our values not only as individuals, but also as communities.

For many years, UU congregations have been guided by the Seven Principles, which affirm ideas such as the inherent worth and dignity of every person, justice and compassion in human relations, and respect for the interdependent web of life.

In 2022, UUCC adopted the 8th Principle, which calls us to journey toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community and by dismantling racism and other forms of oppression in ourselves and our institutions.

More recently, the Unitarian Universalist Association adopted a framework of Shared Values that include interdependence, pluralism, justice, equity, transformation, and generosity. These values express the spirit of our tradition and help guide how we live together.

At UUCC, these principles and values are not simply statements—they are living guides for our worship, our relationships, and our work in the world.

Unitarian Universalists find wisdom and inspiration from many places.

Rather than relying on a single sacred text or authority, our tradition draws from a wide range of sources that speak to the human search for truth and meaning. These include:

• the wisdom of the world’s religions
• the insights of science, philosophy, and the arts
• the experiences of justice-seekers and prophetic voices
• personal reflection and lived experience
• the beauty and wonder of the natural world

This openness allows people from many backgrounds to explore spiritual questions together while honoring their own beliefs and traditions.

At UUCC, you may hear references to many different traditions in worship and conversation. We see this diversity not as a challenge, but as a gift that deepens our understanding of one another and the world we share.

At UUCC, our life together is grounded in covenant—shared promises about how we will treat one another.

In 2023, the congregation adopted the following covenant to guide our relationships:

UUCC Congregational Covenant

We Cultivate trust with one another by celebrating differences, honoring boundaries, and
offering compassion and care.

We Listen to each other deeply with curiosity and wonder.

We Speak for ourselves, without need to defend ourselves or persuade each other.

We Create safe and brave space for healthy conflict, creativity, and fun.

We Reconcile through forgiving and making amends when we hurt one another.

Adopted June 2023 at the UUCC Annual Meeting

This covenant reflects our belief that community is not only something we enjoy—it is something we actively create together.

The flaming chalice is a central symbol of Unitarian Universalism. Many UU congregations light a chalice at the beginning of worship and other gatherings.

The symbol was first created during World War II by Austrian artist Hans Deutsch while working with the Unitarian Service Committee, which was helping people escape persecution in Europe. The chalice and flame came to represent courage, sacrifice, and the light of hope in dark times.

Today, the flaming chalice carries many meanings for Unitarian Universalists. It can represent the light of reason, the warmth of community, the search for truth, and the spark of the sacred within each person.

When we light the chalice in worship at UUCC, it helps create a shared moment of reflection and connection as our community gathers together.