If there’s going to be one Christian service of communion in a Unitarian Universalist (or Universalist or Unitarian) churches in a year, it will probably be in Holy Week: at Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday or perhaps (a bit eccentric, but probably a surviving morsel of Victorian liberal theology) Good Friday.
There’s a hint, but not a confirmation, that there’s going to be a service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Florence (South Carolina). Which makes me wonder, which churches (especially the non-Christian ones) will have a recognizably Christian service of communion soon?
Here’s your chance to drum up some interest.
We are indeed having communion on Palm Sunday (no service this Easter) in Florence SC . And I see that their newsletter states that Red Hill Universalist in Clinton, NC is having communion on Easter Sunday.
I know of three congregations in Britain that will celebrate communion on Maundy Thursday: Bury (Greater Manchester), Padiham (Lancashire) and Kingswood (outside Birmingham). I think possibly Cross Street Chapel in Manchester might have a communion on Easter Sunday, but I don’t know that for sure. First Church Boston (MA) also have a communion on Easter morning, before the main service, that I always used to go to.
The UU Church of Muncie will have its traditional Maundy Thursday dinner (food items rectricted to rice, fish, vegetables, and bread) and communion service (as required from the original by-laws). The event is very simmilar to the annual Love Feast at a Church of the Brethren, but there is no foot washing.
Epiphany Community Church would normally have communion on Easter, but their pastor is on medical leave for a heart problem.
This year here in Turley we didn’t offer a Maundy Thursday service and didn’t find one to go with others to; overwhelmed in preparation for lots of mission work this weekend; we will be part of the Tennebrae Service at All Souls with the other three UU churches in Tulsa on Good Friday at noon; we will have communion at 10 a.m. Sunday morning (departure from usual gathering time in the late afternoon/evening) and then travel to join with Church of Restoration for its 11 a.m. service.
having attended Clayton Memorial in Newberry SC on Easter, I can add that they had communion.
Was the service they used from the red hymnal; if so, was it the long or the short service? Just thinking about how it used to be when I supplied there. Happy thoughts.
No, it was not from the red hymnal,
although UU Florence (South Carolina) did use a modified version of the short service.
I would guess Norcliffe Chapel (Chesire, northern England) will hold something like this. It tends to follow a traditional Christian calendar, although from a progressive / liberal / unitarian point of view. If anyone is ever in the area (Manchester is nearby), I recommend giving it a visit.