a positive path for spiritual living

Christmas and New Years Services 2020/2021

Unity of Albany invites you to celebrate the wonder and promise of Christmas, 2020 as we rekindle our hope and zeal for life. The powerful Christmas story is a clear reminder that we do not travel our spiritual journey of rediscovery alone.

The Christmas season is a reminder that we can awaken a sense of wonder and joy as we allow the Christ child to be reborn and express itself in and through us.

All of these services are virtual only and will be will be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel.

Worship & Celebration Service
Sunday, December 20, 11:00 am

Preparing our hearts and minds for an expression of love and joy! Rev. Steve and our music team.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Wednesday, December 24, 5:30 pm

The wonder and joy of candlelight and sacred music in our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on December 24th is, for many, a highlight of the year. Let it be just as true for us this year, even as we join virtually from our own homes. Our service this year celebrates the Twelve Powers, each an aspect of our own Divine nature. We’ll honor each power, light a candle, and affirm each Divine attribute for ourselves.  We’ll also recall the Christmas story and share beloved carols such as O Holy Night, Angels We Have Heard on High, Joy to the World, and other Christmas favorites.  We’ll close with a virtual version of our beautiful candle lighting ceremony and sing Silent Night. Please bring your own candle as part of the ceremony.

Worship & Celebration Service
Sunday, December 27, 11:00 pm

Our Christmastide celebration continues as we gather for a joyful Sunday morning of prayer, song and an inspiring message from Rev. Steve.

OneSong Service
Sunday, December 27, 7:00 pm

An hour of sacred chant and meditation as we are poised between Christmas and the New Year, we reflect on what it means to enter through the Narrow Gate as we embrace the new.

Burning Bowl Ceremony
Wednesday, December 31, 5:30 pm

It is time for both letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. This uplifting service gets you ready for your journey into 2021. It is a favorite here at Unity because it gives us an opportunity to move into the new year with a clean slate and to set intentions of what we would like to see more of in our new year. Together we hold a space for the continued awakening of the Divine within each and every person in 2021.

How are we going to pull this off in 2020, you may ask?

The service is in two parts:
1.) Releasing of that which no longer serves us, and
2.) Writing our “Letter to God.”
For the Releasing part, please go to the Burning Bowl event page (unityalbany.org/event-items/burning-bowl-2020/) by Wednesday, December 30 and fill out the form there to submit your Burning Bowl Release. On the day of the event, watch it go into the ceremonial fire in the Unity Garden.
You can send your Letter to God sealed in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to us to be returned in the fall. See more at unityalbany.org/event-items/burning-bowl-2020

White Stone Ceremony
Sunday, January 3, 11:00 am

This day we set our intentions (similar to resolutions) for the new year.  Rather than focusing on what we will do, we focus on who we are called to be in order to birth the emerging vision of our highest essence.  During the service, we connect with our divine essence—whatever we call God, as we are invited to ask for guidance on what our word or words will be for the upcoming year.  These words will represent our highest intention and may be in the form of a new name that will represent this emerging spiritual identity that will guide us through the new year as our high intentions unfold.  That name is then written upon the white stone that we keep throughout the year as a reminder of our intention.