HARVEST THE POWER
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Adults
WORKSHOP 2: UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST JOURNEY
BY GAIL TITTLE, MATT TITTLE, GAIL FORSYTH-VAIL
© Copyright 2009 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 9:10:46 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers; which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith; which opens itself to light whencesoever it may come; which receives new truth as an angel from heaven. — William Ellery Channing, 19th-century
Unitarian preacher and writer
This workshop deepens lay leaders' sense of identity as Unitarian Universalists by building knowledge and understanding of our Unitarian Universalist history and heritage. Each participant will share their own path to Unitarian Universalism. A light-hearted quiz game and other activities will help them gain knowledge about Unitarian Universalist history, tradition and practice.
The two-hour workshop includes a 10-minute break following Activity 3.
While it promises to be a fun activity, the UU Reverse Quiz Game (Activity 3) requires substantial preparation time. The game in Alternate Activity 1 takes less time to prepare.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | |
Opening | 2 |
Activity 1: Connections | 15 |
Activity 2: How I Became Unitarian Universalist | 20 |
Activity 3: UU Reverse Quiz Game | 25 |
Break | 10 |
Activity 4: Reflection and Meditation | 10 |
Activity 5: What Is My Faith? | 35 |
Faith in Action: An Invitation, in Faith | |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: UU Quiz Game | 25 |
Alternate Activity 2: Faith Statements | 35 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Prepare to share your own path to Unitarian Universalism, and reflect on your own faith. What grounds and centers you, and enables you to experience "the quiet confidence and joy which enable one to feel at home in the universe?"
To strengthen your leadership skills and confidence, explore the leadership development resources recommended at the end of the workshop, as well as Workshop 1, Leader Resource 1, Accessibility Guidelines for Workshop Presenters.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Invite new participants to create a name tag.
OPENING (2 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group in a circle. Ask a participant to light the chalice as you or another participant read the opening words.
Share "We come together this morning," Reading 435 in Singing the Living Tradition. You may wish to change the word "morning" to reflect the time of day when you are meeting.
ACTIVITY 1: CONNECTIONS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Give each participant two index cards and a pen or pencil. Invite participants to complete the two statements posted on newsprint on separate index cards.
Allow a minute or two. Then, invite volunteers in turn to share their statements. Ask the group to hold their comments or questions until everyone has spoken.
Lead the group to reflect on the similarities and differences in their experiences. What common experiences exist in this group? What experiences were unique to individuals? What is the advantage of having people with different knowledge and experiences in this group? Collect all statements and display them on a table. Encourage participants to look at them during the break.
ACTIVITY 2: HOW I BECAME UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants reflect on and share their experiences of becoming, or growing up, a Unitarian Universalist, and learn about the paths others have taken.
Tell the group you will conduct a brief, interactive survey. Ask:
1. When did you become a Unitarian Universalist? (Invite participants to raise their hands to respond.)
2. What was/were the religion/religions of your family of origin? (Invite responses one at a time.)
3. Which of the six Sources of Unitarian Universalism speaks most deeply to you? (Indicate the Sources you have posted or distributed. Name each Source in turn, and ask for a show of hands in response.)
Invite participants to move into groups of three to share their stories of becoming a Unitarian Universalist, or choosing to remain a UU if they were raised UU. Tell them they will each have three minutes. Announce three-minute intervals.
When all have shared, re-gather the group and invite volunteers to offer observations or insights from their conversations. Facilitate with these questions, as appropriate and as time allows:
ACTIVITY 3: UU REVERSE QUIZ GAME (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants build rapport, confidence and Unitarian Universalist identity playing this game. A set of topics, responses and questions for the game are provided in Leader Resources 1 and 2. The responses and questions are not meant to be difficult. They are meant to inform Unitarian Universalist lay leaders and lead them to other resources for use in their congregational work.
Invite participants to form three teams diverse in age and amount of experience as Unitarian Universalists to allow for pooling of information. If the group is larger than 12, consider playing two games simultaneously.
How to Play the Game
Invite each team to designate a captain. This person will raise a hand when the team is ready to respond.
Ask the first team to select a category and a point value for their first question. Remove the self-sticking note covering the block selected. Read the response printed there and start the one-minute timer. Invite both teams to huddle and frame a question that matches the response. For example, for the response, "Unitarian and Universalist," a question might be, "What do the two Us stand for in UUA?".
Each answer may fit with several possible questions.
Explain that when a team is ready with a response, the captain may raise a hand, and you will hear responses from teams in the order in which the captains raised their hands. A correct response earns a team the points assigned the block and the opportunity to pick the next category and value. If a team gives an incorrect response, deduct the points for that category and value from its score. Call on teams in the order in which the captains raise their hands until a team responds correctly or one minute has elapsed. If no team has answered correctly, read aloud a question that fits the response. No team receives points. The team which chose the last category and value gets another chance to choose.
After the game, you may wish to distribute copies of Leader Resource 2 so participants have the game's questions and answers for their own reference. Offer a round of applause to the team with the most points and invite all to share the treat you have brought, now or during a break.
ACTIVITY 4: REFLECTION AND MEDITATION (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Invite participants into a time of meditation. Read aloud Victoria Safford's poem, "Walking Toward Morning" (Leader Resource 3). When you are done, ask participants to reflect silently on what they carry with them when they leave home each morning to meet the new day.
ACTIVITY 5: WHAT IS MY FAITH? (35 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Share this quote from religious historian William Cantwell Smith:
Faith at its best has taken the form of a quiet confidence and joy which enable one to feel at home in the universe.
Invite participants to reflect for a moment, then put aside words and create a representation of what enables them to feel at home in the universe. Tell them they will have 15 minutes to use the art materials to create a representation of their faith. When time is up, invite participants to share their creations and their meaning with the group.
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Ask each participant to share one word or phrase describing how they feel about this workshop. When all have had a chance to share, close with "For all who see God," Reading 700 in Singing the Living Tradition.
FAITH IN ACTION: AN INVITATION, IN FAITH
Description of Activity
Participants may have friends or family members they have been meaning to invite to their Unitarian Universalist congregation. Ask participants to consider extending those invitations. Ask: How can your experience creating a faith representation (Activity 5) help you start a conversation with your friend or family member and extend the invitation? Ask if the group would like an opportunity to check in at a future Harvest the Power workshop about how they have kept a commitment to invite someone to their congregation.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
TAKING IT HOME
I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers; which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith; which opens itself to light whencesoever it may come; which receives new truth as an angel from heaven. — William Ellery Channing, 19th-century
Unitarian preacher and writer
Do you have a regular spiritual practice, such as prayer, meditation, journaling, yoga, walking, singing or attending worship? Set aside time on a regular basis for your preferred spiritual practice. If you do not have such a practice, explore different ways to nurture your spirit.
Take home your faith representation. Initiate a conversation with family or friends about what helps them to feel at home in the universe. Their answers might surprise you and make you think more deeply about your own faith.
Find Out More
Writing the Spiritual Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir by Elizabeth J. Andrew ( Boston : Skinner House, 2005)
The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide, 4th edition, edited by William Sinkford (Boston: Skinner House, 1988)
A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism, revised edition, by John A. Buehrens and Forrest Church (Boston: Beacon Press, 1998)
Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History by David E. Bumbaugh (Chicago: Meadville Lombard Press, 2000)
Being Liberal in an Illiberal Age: Why I Am a Unitarian Universalist, second edition, by Jack Mendelsohn ( Boston : Skinner House, 2006)
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999)
Engaging Our Theological Diversity: A Report by the Unitarian Universalist Commission on Appraisal ( Boston : Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005).
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: UU QUIZ GAME (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Invite the group to form two teams. With more than 12 participants, consider forming four teams and running two separate games.
Give one team copies of Handout 1 and the other team copies of Handout 2. The first team will choose a question from their handout to ask the other team. Using the timer, give the second team one minute to huddle and come up with a response. If the second team responds correctly, they receive a point.
Then, the second team may pose a question from their handout to the first team. Give the first team one minute to respond. Keep score on newsprint or on a pad of paper.
After the game, give everyone a copy of the handout they have not seen. Offer a round of applause to the team with the most points and invite all to share the treat you have brought, now or during a break.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: FAITH STATEMENTS (35 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity guides participants to discern and articulate their own faith as expressions of values, blessings in life, beliefs, and reverence.
Distribute Handout 1 from Workshop 1. Invite participants to silently read (or re-read) James Luther Adams' description of a faith for the free. Allow a few moments. Then distribute Leader Resource 3, Walking Toward Morning. Again, invite participants to read and reflect.
Begin a discussion with the question, "What does it mean as a Unitarian Universalist to have faith?" Allow ten minutes of conversation. Suggest this definition of faith from religious historian William Cantwell Smith:
Faith at its best has taken the form of a quiet confidence and joy which enable one to feel at home in the universe.
Now distribute Handout 3, Faith Statement Worksheet, along with journals and pens or pencils. State that understanding their own faith and being able to articulate it is an important part of their leadership in a congregational context. Invite participants to begin writing a faith statement, using the questions on the worksheet as prompts. Tell them they will have 15 minutes to work on their faith statement here and may take the journal home to continue writing if they wish.
Tell participants when ten minutes have passed. After 15 minutes, re-gather the group and invite volunteers to share any thoughts or read a short piece of what they have written.
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
HANDOUT 1: UU QUIZ GAME QUESTIONS, SIDE 1
UU POSTAGE STAMPS
Answer: Twentieth-century social worker, educator, civil rights leader and winner of the Medal of Freedom
Answer: Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross
JUUSTICE FOR ALL
Answer: Program where congregations work toward environmental justice
Answer: Threat of Global Warming, Peacemaking and Alternatives to the War on Drugs
Answer: A congregation that has an intentional outreach to Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender people and their families
UU THEOLOGY
Answer: Wisdom from the world's religions, spiritual teachings of earth-based religions, stories of prophetic women and men, Jewish and Christian teachings, direct experience of mystery and wonder, humanist teachings
Answer: Judaism and Christianity
OUR FREE ASSOCIATION
Answer: C*UUYAN (pronounced See-oo-yan) or continental UU Young Adult Network.
Answer: A covenant
Answer: They provide geographically based resources to help local congregations.
HERETICAL QUOTES
Answer: Francis David, sixteenth-century Transylvanian Unitarian preacher
Answer: John Murray, eighteenth-century Universalist, minister of the first Universalist Church in the U.S.
Answer: Susan B. Anthony, nineteenth-century advocate for women's suffrage
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
HANDOUT 2: UU QUIZ GAME QUESTIONS, SIDE 2
UU POSTAGE STAMPS
Answer: Second president of the United States , signer of the Declaration of Independence
Answer: Nineteenth-century author whose books include Little Women
Answer: Twentieth-century Hungarian composer who used folk melodies in his works
JUUSTICE FOR ALL
Answer: Organization of ministers and other religious professionals of color
Answer: An organization that advances human rights and social justice in the U.S. and around the world.
UU THEOLOGY
Answer: Wisdom from the world's religions, spiritual teachings of earth-based religions, stories of prophetic women and men, Jewish and Christian teachings, direct experience of mystery and wonder, humanist teachings
Answer: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
Answer: "God is love" and "All people are saved."
Answer: God is one.
OUR FREE ASSOCIATION
Answer: General Assembly
Answer: Financial support that Unitarian Universalist congregations give to the Association
HERETICAL QUOTES
Answer: Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Answer: 2007 Unitarian Universalist Association marketing campaign.
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
HANDOUT 3: FAITH STATEMENT WORKSHEET
For Alternate Activity 2, Faith Statements.
Religious historian William Cantwell Smith wrote, "Faith at its best has taken the form of a quiet confidence and joy which enable one to feel at home in the universe."
Articulating your faith statement can help you better understand what has the utmost importance in your life and enables you to feel at home in the universe. There is no correct content or length. These suggestions may help you write your faith statement.
We are all involved in a journey, pilgrimage and spiritual quest, all our lives. We constantly seek to know the meaning of how we are in the world, of how the world is. As religious liberals, we seek and find that meaning without the usual trappings the other more conventional religions offer. Our faith is one we must develop ourselves, for ourselves. We alone decide what it is that we can affirm.
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: UU REVERSE QUIZ GAME PREPARATION
Prepare a reverse quiz game using a 24x36-inch piece of foam core or poster board held horizontally. Draw a table with five columns and six rows, making each block measure six inches horizontally and four inches vertically. Leave a three-inch margin on each side and no margin on the top or bottom. In the top block of each column, write one of these categories: UU Stamps, JUUstice for All, Free Association, UU Theology and Heretical Quotes.
Following the diagram, transfer the text of the numbered responses (1-5 in each category) to the numbered blocks (1-5 in each column). Then, cover each response with a sheet of 4x6-inch self-sticking paper. Write the number of the block on the paper.
UU Stamps | JUUstice for All | Free Association | UU Theology | Heretical Quotes |
1. | 1. | 1. | 1. | 1. |
2. | 2. | 2. | 2. | 2. |
3. | 3. | 3. | 3. | 3. |
4. | 4. | 4. | 4. | 4. |
5. | 5. | 5. | 5. | 5. |
UU STAMPS (Unitarians and Universalists who have been featured on U.S. postage stamps)
1. Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross
2. Second president of the United States and signer of the Declaration of Independence
3. Nineteenth-century author whose books included Little Women
4. Twentieth-century social worker, educator, civil rights leader and winner of the Medal of Freedom
5. Twentieth-century Hungarian composer who used folk melodies in his works
JUUSTICE FOR ALL (Unitarian Universalist organizations and programs to promote peace and justice)
1. A congregation that has an intentional outreach to Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender people
2. Organization that advances human rights and social justice in the U.S. and around the world
3. Program where congregations work toward environmental justice
4. Organization of ministers and other religious professionals of color
5. Threat of Global Warming, Peacemaking and Alternatives to the War on Drugs
UU THEOLOGY
1. Wisdom from the world's religions, spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions, stories of prophetic women and men, Jewish and Christian teachings, humanist teachings, direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder
2. God is love, and all people are saved.
3. Judaism and Christianity
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
5. God is one
OUR FREE ASSOCIATION (information about our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations)
1. General Assembly
2. They provide geographically based resources to help local congregations.
3. Financial support that Unitarian Universalist congregations give to the association.
4. C*UUYAN (pronounced See-oo-yan) or continental UU Young Adult Network.
5. A covenant.
HERETICAL QUOTES (well known quotes from Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists)
1. "When in doubt, pray. When in prayer, doubt."
2. "Men their rights and nothing more. Women their rights and nothing less."
3. "It is in our lives, and not our words, that our religion must be read."
4. "Give them not hell, but hope and courage."
5. "We need not think alike to love alike."
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: UU REVERSE QUIZ RESPONSES AND QUESTIONS
The questions here are valid responses in the UU Reverse Quiz game (Activity 3); however, keep in mind some items may have additional, valid responses.
UU STAMPS (Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists who have been featured on U.S. postage stamps)
Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross
Second president of the United States and signer of the Declaration of Independence
Nineteenth-century author whose books included Little Women
Twentieth-century social worker, educator, civil rights leader and winner of the Medal of Freedom
Twentieth-century Hungarian composer who used folk melodies in his works
JUUSTICE FOR ALL (Unitarian Universalist organizations and programs to promote peace and justice)
A congregation that has an intentional outreach to bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people.
An organization that advances human rights and social justice in the U.S. and around the world
Program where congregations work toward environmental justice
Organization of religious professionals and lay people of color
Threat of Global Warming, Peacemaking and Alternatives to the War on Drugs
UU THEOLOGY
Wisdom from the world's religions, spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions, stories of prophetic women and men, Jewish and Christian teachings, humanist teachings, direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder
God is love, and all people are saved.
Judaism and Christianity
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
God is one.
OUR FREE ASSOCIATION (information about our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations)
General Assembly
They provide geographically based resources to help local congregations.
Financial support that Unitarian Universalist congregations give to the association
YRUU or Young Religious Unitarian Universalists
The seven Principles are contained in this kind of document (hint: a __________ of right relations)
HERETICAL QUOTES (well known quotes from Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists)
It said, "When in doubt, pray. When in prayer, doubt."
She said, "Men their rights and nothing more. Women their rights and nothing less."
He said, "It is in our lives, and not our words, that our religion must be read."
He said, "Give them not hell, but hope and courage."
He said, "We need not think alike to love alike."
HARVEST THE POWER: WORKSHOP 2:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: WALKING TOWARD MORNING
By Victoria Safford, in Walking Toward Morning: Meditations ( California : Dyeing Art Books, 2008).
You know, we do it every day. Every morning we go out blinking into the glare of our freedom, into the wilderness of our work and the world, making maps as we go, looking for signs that we're on the right path. And on some good days we walk right out of our oppressions, those things that press us down from the outside or (as often) from the inside; we shake off the shackles of fear, prejudice, timidity, closed-mindedness, selfishness, self righteousness, and claim our freedom outright, terrifying as it is—our freedom to be human and humane.
Every morning, every day, we leave our houses, not knowing if it will be for the last time, and we decide what we'll take with us, what we'll carry: how much integrity, how much truth-telling, how much compassion (in case somebody along the way may need some), how much arrogance, how much anger, how much humor, how much willingness to change or be changed, to grow and to be grown. How much faith and hope, how much love and gratitude—you pack these with your lunch and medications, your date book and your papers. Every day, we gather what we think we'll need, pick up what we love and all that we so far believe, put on our history, shoulder our experience and memory, take inventory of our blessings, and we start walking toward morning.