Speaker: Martha Dallas

Ceremony: Where Meaning meets Magic

Where in our lives do we encounter ceremony? What ceremonies have left a lifetime impression on us and why? What’s the relationship between who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going? How can a well-done ceremony affect a life transition, whether we chose it or not? These questions and more inspire this service, where Martha will explore the changing cultural landscape and the role of ceremony for individuals and groups; for UUs and for Vermonters, the “least religious” (but among the most spiritual!) in America.
Martha Dallas is a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant who provides personalized ceremonies marking major life transitions such as weddings and memorials for (often) secular and (typically) spiritual people through her Burlington-based business, Vermont Celebrants (vermontcelebrants.com), which she launched in early 2019. Prior to this, she was a UU Director of Religious Education for over fifteen years, eleven of which were served at the First UU Society of Burlington, where she earned the status of Credentialed DRE. Martha holds a BA in Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s in Theology and Education from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She’s excited to return to MMUUF, where she preached about a decade ago!