We are a different kind of church. Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal faith. We believe that the freedom to explore one’s own spirituality is an intrinsic right of every individual, and that it is impossible that all people can or will share the same beliefs. We do have some guiding principles and sources, though, that help steer our faith and congregations.
How is this church different from others?
We UUs are about deeds, not creeds. When we say that we are a community where “love works” we mean that our actions are our prayer. We are also a group of theologically diverse people. Some of us do not believe in a higher power, others do. Some of us connect to the eternal through nature or personal relationships, others through scripture. We come together to explore questions about the eternal together, in a supportive covenantal space and then we take our work out beyond our doors to build a just world.
Why are you called a church?
Our first name was Montgomery County Unitarian Center given to us, in 1951, by our parent congregation, All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC. In 1953, the name was changed to Unitarian Church of Montgomery County. We became Cedar Lane Unitarian Church in 1961. In 1996, the name was changed to Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church. In 2022, the name was changed to Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation. We chose to be called a Congregation because many members, friends, and visitors come to us from a variety of backgrounds that don't necessarily have Christian roots; Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, and others make up our community. Beyond that name is our pluralistic theology and ministry of lives changed, faith inspired, community created, and justice advanced.
Will someone try to “sell me” on your congregation?
While we are passionate about our faith and hope you’ll want to learn more about it, don’t worry. Most of our members have found Unitarian Universalism after having turned away from religion for years. We’ll happily answer your questions, but you set the pace of it, how much and when you want to know more.
So, what do you talk about?
This is a fair question. In most services, our ministers focus on monthly themes of human growth, human potential, and human issues that we all face in everyday living. There is also an emphasis on addressing important social and ethical issues, as well as a strong sense that being and working together provides us the sense of community and belonging that many of us need and seek.
We do provide Religious Education on Sunday mornings for children and youth. Our religious education classes aim to raise children to become thoughtful, respectful, open-minded, kind, and resilient enough to stand up for what is right. All of our teachings are rooted in our Unitarian Universalist guiding principles.
So, what else do you do?
We are heavily involved in social justice work. We work to serve the local community through partnering with organizations like Showing Up for Racial Justice Montgomery County, and Action in Montgomery. We work to defend the environment through our environmental ministry, promote human equity and inclusion through our racial justice ministry, and were a physical Sanctuary Congregation for our Sanctuary guest Rosa.
