Kristin Maier, author of A Good Telling: Bringing Worship to Life with Story (Skinner House Books, 2013) shares the first in a series of tips for good storytelling. Purchase A Good Telling at the UUA Bookstore.

Good stories are central to good worship. As a Time for All Ages, as part of a sermon, or as part of a multigenerational service, stories engage our hearts and minds and help us grow.

Stories from Other Unitarian Universalist (UU) Sources

Storytelling in Worship

✳ Pssst! Have you visited our Storytelling page? It's filled with tips, how-to's, and lots of resources!

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 155

  • Some geologists believe that gases from the earth caused the Delphic oracle’s fits of passion and her prophecies. But the scientific answer does not mean the Greeks were foolish to believe they had a relationship with Apollo; it does not erase the relationship they had with their gods.
    Time for All Ages | By Julie Rigano | April 12, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Belief, Faith, Mystery, Nature, Reason, Science, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Carl the golden retriever learns about the limitations of the Golden Rule.
    Story | By Tiffany Sapp | October 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Animals, Caring, Imagination, Playfulness, Relationships, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Our church calls us to "bring all that you are." This includes all our talents—known, and yet to be discovered.
    Script | By First Parish UU Church, Kennebunk, ME | May 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Playfulness, Stewardship, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • There's an older rhythm calling us to rest.
    Time for All Ages | By Jamila Batchelder | January 27, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Body, Contemplation, Healing, Peace, Presence, Stress, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Change can be uncomfortable. Like any time we learn a new technology, it can take a little while to adjust.
    Time for All Ages | January 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Change, Faith, Identity, Living Our Faith, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • One of the Goddess’s best friends was a cardinal—a bright red bird who loved to play with the Goddess and the Sun.
    Story | By Christina Leone Tracy | December 16, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Animals, Change, Earth, Earth-Centered, Ending, Faith, Friendship, Goddess, Imagination, Letting Go, Nature, Paganism, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • What happens when you don’t agree?
    Story | By Renee Ruchotzke | October 18, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Choice, Community, Compromise, Conflict, Relationships, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Preparation: acquire a wooden block tower building game (similar to Jenga ©). If possible, consider getting a jumbo version of game because its size lends itself to more visibility for the congregation and more space for more kids to participate. Other supplies: signs or name tags that state...
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | October 17, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, Compromise, Conflict, Covenant, Relationships, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Change is part of who we are.
    Story | By Caitlin Cotter Coillberg | May 19, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Change, Earth-Centered, Letting Go, Transformation, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • We can plant the seeds of love and justice in the world.
    Time for All Ages | By mandi huizenga | March 29, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, America, Anti-Oppression, History, Humanism, Justice, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Masks let us be someone or something totally different from who we usually are.
    Time for All Ages | By Mary Gear | January 21, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Imagination, Playfulness, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Maybe if we add an 8th Principle, we will get closer to the BeLOVEd Community we dream about.
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | June 5, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, #BlackLivesMatter, Seven Principles, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Start by telling the story of your mistake. Keep practicing! This is a tool you can use in many different situations.
    Time for All Ages | By Maria Bavier | April 19, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Forgiveness, Friendship, Healing, Humanism, Relationships, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Can you imagine what it was like to be inside of that house, afraid that it might fall all apart from the destructive force of the wind and the rain, from the whole storm?
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | January 7, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Interdependence, Justice, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Race/Ethnicity, Relationships, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Tip if you are video recording this story: you can have a clip of an adult stretching out their arm in one direction, then another clip of a different adult stretching out their arm in the other direction, so that when you edit it, it looks like they are stretching towards each other. It would be...
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | October 13, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Animals, Caring, Earth, Earth-Centered, Environment, Humanism, Nature, Responsibility, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Once there was a wise woman named Athenerva.* Athenerva would travel from town to town in her country, spending a few days, maybe a week in each town. People came to her with difficult problems or arguments they were having with others, and she would help them find their way toward satisfying...
    Story | By Gail Sphar | May 8, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Belief, Diversity, God, Goddess, Imagination
  • Somewhere in the world, there was a child and their grandparent sheltering in place, just like you are now - and they were really fed up, perhaps a bit like you are sometimes. The novelty of being at home all the time and doing whatever they wanted had worn off for the child and they felt...
    Story | By Jenn Blosser | April 17, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Beauty, Community, Faith, Humanism, Living Our Faith, Love, Secular, Unitarian Universalism
  • Once upon a time there was a family. Maybe this family had not quite enough to eat. Or maybe they had just about enough. Or … perhaps they had MORE than enough. You might not have been able to tell. THEY might not have been able to tell. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have enough or not.
    Story | By Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt | April 3, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Abundance, Family, Generosity, Home, Hospitality, Humanism, Inclusion, Secular, Stewardship, Thanksgiving, Unitarian Universalism, Wealth
  • Once upon a time there was a tiny, little, itty bitty, very small, tiny little god named Tiny. She lived her life hearing stories of all the big gods and, well, let’s face it, she was jealous. She knew she needed to think of some kind of special spark of an idea that would make her existence...
    Story | By Becky Brooks | March 26, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Compassion, Connections, God, Presence, Relationships
  • The tree stood in the middle of the village. Its trunk was so large that it took six people holding hands to reach around it. The roots were strong and wide, and its branches spread out over the village square, offering shelter from the rain, or shade from the summer sun....
    Story | By Lynn Gardner | March 4, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Abundance, Canvass/Pledge, Caring, Commitment, Earth-Centered, Generosity, Humanism, Interdependence, Nature, Stewardship