Tapestry of Faith: Faith Like a River: A Program on Unitarian Universalist History for Adults

Opening

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle
  • Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook
  • A copy of the Spiritual Preparation section from this workshop's Introduction
  • Optional: Decorative cloth
  • Optional: Keyboard or piano

Preparation for Activity

  • Set up a worship or centering table with the chalice and (optional) decorative cloth.
  • Print out the Spiritual Preparation reflection questions.
  • Optional: Invite an accompanist or singer to lead "For All the Saints," Hymn 103 in Singing the Living Tradition.

Description of Activity

Light the chalice and share these words:

We light our chalice this day in remembrance of all who have given their lives for freedom, for larger life, for justice. In memory of them we sing their songs, gather their dreams to carry in our bones. Their songs lead us on, their dreams shape us, and their light will guide us home.

If you invited participants to do the Spiritual Preparation activity before the workshop, offer an opportunity for brief comments and sharing from participants' "namesake" meditations. If you did not provide the spiritual preparation questions in advance, invite participants now to briefly share a spiritual legacy or name they have received from those who have gone before. Use the Spiritual Preparation questions as a guide.

Invite participants to sing together the first verse of Hymn 103, "For All the Saints," or read the lyrics together.