Anyone who has ever been drawn to a campfire knows to cherish the experience.  For millennia fire has been valued for its many practical benefits, as much as for the ways in which it inspires and draws people together.  Fire building and tending has long been considered a sacred honor, requiring focused intention and spiritual purity.

Unitarian Universalists also gather around fire:   flame brought to the chalice – symbolizing this religious tradition’s history of and continued commitment to freedom and responsibility, justice and equity, peace and compassion.

Drawn to that flame, Unitarian Universalists share the responsibility to tend it carefully so that it can continue to illuminate paths of wisdom, courage and joy.  They bring to that cherished flame their questions, passion and commitment, feeding it with visionary funding and labors of love.

Doing so is recognized as a spiritual necessity and sacred honor – a claiming of Unitarian Universalist values, of this faith tradition, and of this community.

Contributions of time and talent, of treasure and intent are what keep the cherished light of liberal religion burning brightly.