Unitarians (at Christmas)

[CassandraMortmainthe2nd]

Hi, does anyone here go to a Unitarian church? I have been reading about the Unitarians and I am thinking of going to a service (if that's the right word) at one of the chapels nearest me, specifically Rosslyn Hill or New Unity (both in North London).

Ideally I'd like to choose a time when it will be busy enough that I can go unnoticed, and I thought Christmas might be a good time for that as churches are often fuller at Christmas. But then, I know Unitarian chapels aren't really churches in the usual Christian sense.

So I guess my question is... do I have any chance of finding a service which is busy enough that an extra/new person wouldn't really be noticed? And if so, when should I go?

I guess I would just feel very awkward if I turned up and it was only a few people who knew each other very well and they didn't really ever expect any newcomers...

Thanks @dephlogisticated I've just gone and joined it, and my local group too.

Please do report back @CassandraMortmainthe2nd and good luck!

I "went" to my local (Edinburgh) zoom this morning and it was lovely! The main reading was Winner The Pooh which I thought was very cute.

Oh I've great childhood memories of hearing Winnie the Pooh chapel. The vicar did the best Eeyore voice!

There is much to be learned from all kinds of writing I think without the need to pretend that any of it comes from non human inspiration.

Ahh so pleased you enjoyed it. After weeks of planning to go to a Christmas service I've been ill and so couldn't go in the end. I did watch on YouTube though. It looked like a lovely service. All traditional carols that I remember from my days in a CofE choir. A reading from the bible, which I wasn't expecting. A more secular but serious reading. And a funny reading based on the twelve days of Christmas. More mentions of God than I was expecting. I'm really hoping to go to a service IRL in the new year.

Interesting. God wasn't mentioned once at the service I attended- just one 'amen'. I expected more!

Hope you feel better soon. I'm going to go to an in person one on the 12th.

@CassandraMortmainthe2nd just out of interest and totally being nosy did you go to Rosslyn Hill or to New Unity in the end? I'm sure both had fab Christmas services. New Unity has a new minister starting really soon and he's a lovely human being so defo go and try that out. Equally the Minister at Rosslyn Hill is absolutely wonderful.

The one I watched was Rosslyn Hill. I'd like to give both a try in person in the new year.

Just thought I'd report back that I finally went to a Unitarian service yesterday. I thought it was lovely and I'd like to go again. More Amens and mentions of God and worship than I was expecting, and it felt quite like a church service. (I think other unitarian congregations may be less church-y, but I'm not sure.) The minister said that the Unitarians have been described in the past as a feather bed for fallen Anglicans, which sounds about right for me.

@CassandraMortmainthe2nd I just want to thank you for starting this thread and bringing Unitarianism to my attention. Seriously thinking of attending my local Unitarian meeting. Long time Buddhist, disenfranchised (if that's the right word) from any available groups. I have a similar friend who has embedded herself in Quakers. Quakers wasn't for me. Quite possible that Unitarianism isn't too, but worth a try! 🙂

There are many Buddhist Unitarians and meditation is often - but not always - a significant part of services in some places.
So you'd likely feel at home! Please do pm me if you'd like links to online national meditation circles.

Thank you, I've just done so. Very kind of you.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing back. I've done 2 online now and hardly any mentions of God really, far less than I expected, so it must depend on location.

I'm going in person in Edinburgh this Sunday so will report back.

I've also signed up for an 8 week course called 'soul deep' with them; it starts tomorrow evening, there was a book to buy and it's a small discussion group apparently. Thought it might be a nice start to the new year.

Also went to the Sunday Assembly yesterday which was good fun- describe themselves as a church with no religion! It's just a nice community, with singing and poetry and cake, I really enjoyed it. It's once a month so I intend to go again next month.

Were you in SGI or Nichiren Shoshu as I can't imagine another Buddhist sect that would do that

Quakers and unitarians are friendly. My Unitarian group has meet ups with the Quakers.

Ah sorry I DID use the wrong word. I meant I FEEL disenfranchised because I've left what was my primary group due to what was back then misogyny and hierarchical power structures that I felt powerless to challenge. It was the FWBO back then, Triratna now.
It's all water under the bridge. I was very heavily involved and I'd want something I could be much more lightly connected to now, years later.

Yes I can imagine they would be! Big similarities. Lots of common ground.

No worries, you used the right word. I just didn't get it. I was thinking about excommunication which some Nichiren sects do.
Yes, I know about Triratna/FWBO, so many Buddhist sects are guy-fests. My sensei was a woman and it was so nice.

@heldinadream

My email didn't work for some reason but if you follow the link below it's a great starting point for anyone looking to meet with Unitarians and Unitarian-meditators including some buddhists.

www.unitarian.org.uk/event/together-in-meditation/

Thank you, looking at what is happening in the Unitarian world with great interest and I will attend some online gatherings to get a feel of things.

Buddhist sects being guy-fests - you are not wrong! But I won't get into it here, don't want to digress too much from the threads original intention. 🙂

Interesting - it sounds like the groups vary a lot in how church-y they are. Do report back on your visit on Sunday, I'd love to hear about it. The soul deep sessions sound really good too, although unfortunately I don't think it's something I could commit to at the moment.

I'm so glad I started this thread and accidentally led others to look into unitarians too :-)

Hello. I went yesterday and had a great time! I feel like I've really lucked out by finding this thread and the unitarians, as I really was looking for -something- and am fairly sure I've found it.

Barely any mention of religion except in a bit of an islamic text. Really welcoming, interesting service, nice songs (although they were written in music notes in the book which I found a bit hard to follow since I don't read music, but I figured it out!)

Recommend going along.

I also did my first Soul Deep session on Tuesday and it was so good, really thought provoking and nice to be in a space with like minded people.

Ah I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I'm really glad I started the thread! Is your soul deep sessions in person or online? I would really like to do it but I think I would struggle to fit it in at the moment.

I hope you don't mind me suggesting this but if you don't quite have time for Soul Deep you might like to drop in to a Heart and Soul circle instead as it's ongoing so no need to sign up for a a specific course as such. Still unitarian.

www.heartandsoulcircles.org.uk/locations/

@dephlogisticated thanks so much for posting that link, that's very interesting