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Who We Are:
A year-round, lay-led congregation created to meet the needs of Unitarian Universalists of all ages. The first Sunday of each month is a social event. Two of the remaining Sundays are professionally led and one service is community led. Our services cover a range of UU concepts and diverse representation from a variety of ministry.
An annual Day of the Dead Service is observed at the Spirit of Life Church. Participants bring photos or memorials of a loved one who has died and share stories or insights.
This photo was taken at the October 2009 Day of the Dead Service.
An annual ritual celebrated by Unitarian Universalists is the Flower Communion. In this ritual each participant brings a flower to contribute. At the conclusion of the service each person takes a different flower home symbolizing our sense of community and sharing. It is the tradition at the Spirit of Life Church for the children from the religious education classes and their instructors to facilitate this worship service. This photo was taken at the May 2004 Flower Service.
UU Theology:
- 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 congregation;
- 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.
The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
- 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 neighbors 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.
Our Values:
- Spirit of Life Church is founded on the values of Unitarian Universalism as stated in our principles and purposes. It is a church created on the principles of healthy community growing out of mutual respect and mutual responsibility. It will be a church which acknowledges our interdependence at all levels: mutual responsibility within the church community and in the larger society of which we are a part.
- We have a strong commitment to working on social justice issues in collaboration with the other liberal religious communities of the St. Cloud area.
- We place value on creative ritual including the traditional (flower communion, UU communions of bread and wine which celebrate the humanity and teachings of Jesus) as well as new and innovative ritual.
- This church will fully include women and men and children, people with a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, people with a variety of sexual orientations, varying physical and mental ability, varying class backgrounds and varying educational levels.
- This church holds deep respect for our Judeo-Christian roots and draws wisdom from these traditions, as well as from other world religions, earth centered traditions, "direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder," "words and deeds of prophetic women and men" and humanist teachings.
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