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

Spiritual Preparation

Consider these questions:

  • Why was your given name chosen? Who chose it for you? (Or have you chosen it for yourself?)
  • Were you given a saint's name at birth, or at the time of confirmation?
  • If you were given a Hebrew name, how was it chosen?
  • Were you named for someone in your family's history, a loved or "sainted" one or someone your family admired?
  • What gifts have you received from the person whose name you bear?
  • Are any family members or religious or historical figures in some sense your spiritual or religious ancestors? What gifts of wisdom have you received from these ancestors? What sacrifices did they make in their time?

You may wish to ask participants to engage in this same spiritual practice so that they, too, arrive at the workshop centered and ready to engage with the material and the group.