Activity time: 30 minutes

Materials for Activity

• This Day in Unitarian Universalist History by Frank Schulman (Boston, Skinner House, 2004)
• Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook

Preparation for Activity

• Use the index of This Day in Unitarian Universalist History to bookmark pages that mention British martyrs of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries: Bartholomew Legate, Edward Wightman, Matthew Hamont, George Van Parris, Paul Best, John Lewes, John Fry, Thomas Aikenhead, John Biddle, and Thomas Emlyn.
• Prearrange with volunteers to read the ten short pieces. If possible, provide their assignments and the text in advance.

Description of Activity

Invite volunteer participants to take turns reading the descriptions of British martyrs. Following the last reading, ask for two minutes of silence.

Then, distribute copies of Singing the Living Tradition and lead the group to read responsively Reading 721, “They Are with Us Still.” At the end of the reading, invite volunteer readers to repeat the names of the British martyrs.

Guide reflection and discussion with these questions:

• In the nearly 200 years of trials and hostility, what strikes you most in the descriptions of these martyrs?
• For many of these martyrs, the description of their deaths provides almost all the information we have about their lives. How does that shape our understanding of their martyrdom?

This Day in Unitarian Universalist HistoryA Treasury of Anniversaries and Milestones from 600 Years of Religious Tradition

By Frank Schulman

From inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop

This treasury of anniversaries and milestones marks the significant events in Unitarian and Universalist faith heritage for every day of the year

Buy This Paperback