Grew up UU and this Christmas poem has always resonated with me, even moreso now that I have a child of my own.

However, now these lines don’t land as well anymore:

Always in the same way they come

born of the seed of man and woman.

…

Fathers and mothers — sitting beside their children’s cribs feel glory in the sight of a new life >beginning.

Obviously a lot of parents-especially UU parents- aren’t mothers and fathers. My daughter has mommy and mama. And some children are born of the seed of man and non-binary person or cis woman and trans woman, or woman and trans man, etc etc- all sorts of combos.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a UU Christmas service- I’m wondering how this poem is handled now? Same as always? Any changes to the words? Asterisk with “some exceptions apply” added?

Thanks- merry Christmas, blessed solstice, joyous belated Hanukkah, and happy new year to you all!

  • I like "born on dreams of hope and love"

    And "new made parents sitting beside their children’s cribs feel glory in the sight of life just begun"

    But I don't know they are the best fits 

    parent

    Those are good!

    For the “born of the seed” line I always interpreted that to be about children being made from two regular humans- in contrast to the story of Jesus’s conception. So maybe something like “born of the seed of two mortals”? Two humans?

    parent root

  • I've heard it replaced with "loving parents" or some variations thereof.

    parent

  • I used this this Sunday, and pondered that - but eventually thought that 1) children are still born of the "seed of man and woman" even if they are conceived by IVF or artificial insemination - although we could say "male and female" since the seed is male or female seed even if the person productng it identifies as a different gender and 2) it is "mothers and fathers" - not necessarily one mother and one father. If a trans woman is a woman, then surely she is a mother, and a trans man is a father. That does leave people who identify as neither, though.

    parent

  • I’m saying “born of the seed of life” and saying “loved ones” instead of fathers and mothers.

    parent