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All General Assembly Youth Worship in 2005

by Hannah Stampe

This year at General Assembly (GA), the Youth Caucus worships were themed around the seven Unitarian Universalist (UU) Principles. In hopes of bringing UU youth closer to their spiritual roots, each night's worship service centered around one or two of the Principles. The last night of General Assembly, the whole GA community came together for a youth-led worship service themed around the last two Principles—a goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. A core group of hard-working youth spent days of their GA experience planning and developing a worship that was attended by several hundred UUs of all ages.

The service was based around the model of a Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU)-style worship, opening with a song sung by the congregation, and then a chalice-lighting and reading. The worship incorporated some aspects of a typical UU service, such as lots of live instrumental pieces (written (!) and performed by our very own youth and young adults) and a sermon about the significance of the two Principles, also written by a spectacular youth.

The focus of the worship was an interactive activity that paired attendees up for conversations based on questions such as "what do you want to do with your life?" and "where do you go to feel safe?" The intent of this activity was to encourage people who would not normally interact to start a dialogue, in keeping with the goal of world community shared by all UUs.

The service then finished up with a traditional YRUU conference closing. The entire congregation passed around balls of yarn and wrapped them around our wrists so at the end of the service the entire community was tied together. We then broke apart and kept the scraps of yarn with us. Later, UUs could be seen showing off their yarn bracelets as mementos of the service. It was an awesome service that brought youth and adults together and showcased people's incredible talents and abilities.

Hannah Stampe is a bridging youth, originally from Cincinnati; currently in Asheville, NC. She was one of the Worship Co-Coordinators for the Youth Caucus at General Assembly 2005.

For more information contact youth @ uua.org.

Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.