Workshop 9: Rise in the Sea: Unitarianism

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Faith like a River: Themes from Unitarian Universalist History

In This Section

Introduction
From Faith Like a River

Mindful of truth ever exceeding our knowledge and community ever exceeding our practice, reverently we covenant together, beginning with ourselves as we are… — Walter Royal Jones, Jr., chair of the commission that drafted the 1985 revision of the Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Faith Like a River

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 5 Activity 1: The Baltimore Sermon 30 Activity 2: The Almighty Love 15 Activity 3: From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian 25 Activity 4: Remembering The Iowa Sisterhood 30 Faith in Action: Exploring Your Congregation’s History — Long-term Project…
Spiritual Preparation
From Faith Like a River

Set aside time to consider: What does the word “God” mean to you? Is it a sustaining spiritual concept, a useful way to communicate concepts of the sacred to other people, an irrelevant concept, or something else all together?…
Welcoming and Entering
From Faith Like a River

Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Sign-in sheet and pen/pencil Name tags and markers Workshop 1, Leader Resource 1, Schedule Template Workshop 1, Handout 2, Time Line of UU History Preparation for Activity Create and post a workshop agenda on newsprint. The Workshop-at-a-Glance…
Opening
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Optional: Decorative cloth Preparation for Activity Set up a worship or centering table with the chalice and (optional) decorative cloth. Description of Activity Light the chalice and share…
Activity 1: The Baltimore Sermon
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Baltimore Sermon” Leader Resource 1, William Ellery Channing, Portrait Optional: Computer and digital projector Preparation for Activity Print out the story and prepare to present it….
Activity 2: The Almighty Love
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, The Almighty Love Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Optional: Piano or keyboard Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 1, The Almighty Love. Become comfortable singing Theodore Parker’s lyrics…
Activity 3: From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 2, From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian Handout 2, Defining Moments Preparation for Activity Print out Leader Resource 2, From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian and prepare to read or present it. Copy Handout 2, Defining Moments….
Activity 4: Remembering The Iowa Sisterhood
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Iowa Sisterhood” Handout 3, Remembering the Iowa Sisterhood One large candle or chalice, and lighter 21 tea light candles, or 21 LED battery-operated tea lights Centering table and decorative cloth Optional: A copy of Singi…
Closing
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle A copy of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Copies of the story “The Baltimore Sermon” Taking It Home Optional: Faith in Action from this workshop and/or…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Faith Like a River

After the workshop, co-leaders should talk together to evaluate this workshop and plan future workshops. Use these questions to guide your shared reflection and planning: What parts of the workshop worked well and which did not? Why? How was the success, or lack of success, related to the topics?
Faith In Action: Exploring Your Congregation's History - Long-Term Project
From Faith Like a River

Preparation for Activity Seek help to identify sources of historical information about your congregation. Plan how you will engage participants to gather, analyze, and present historical information about your congregation across several group meetings….
Alternate Activity 1: Unitarian Summer - The Isles of Shoals
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “Unitarian Summer — The Isles of Shoals” Paper and markers, pens, and pencils Optional: Child Hassam’s painting, Poppies, Isles of Shoals and (optional) a computer and digital projector Preparation for Activity Print out the story and prepar…
Alternate Activity 2: The Dedham Case
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Dedham Case” A copy of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Optional: Bell or chime Optional: Computer and digital projector Preparation for Activity Print out the story and prepare to present it.
Taking It Home: Rise in the Sea: Unitarianism
From Faith Like a River

Mindful of truth ever exceeding our knowledge and community ever exceeding our practice, reverently we covenant together, beginning with ourselves as we are… — Walter Royal Jones, Jr., chair of the commission that drafted the 1985 revision of the Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes…
The Baltimore Sermon
From Faith Like a River

William Ellery Channing was weary of having the epithet “Unitarian” flung at him in disdain. Ever since Henry Ware had been elected to the Hollis Professorship of Divinity at Harvard College, the temperature of public debate between orthodox and liberal factions of New England’s Standing Order…
The Dedham Case
From Faith Like a River

It wasn’t the first of the Standing Order churches to split, but it sure made the biggest bang. In Puritan New England, each town was organized around its church. The members of the church were those who made a confession of Christian faith, while members of the parish were those who lived in the…
The Iowa Sisterhood
From Faith Like a River

Some of the first women ordained in the United States were Universalist or Unitarian. At the turn of the 21st century, a majority of Unitarian Universalist ministers were women. However, the path for women ministers in our faith tradition has not been easy. Of those early women who achieved…
Unitarian Summer The Isles of Shoals
From Faith Like a River

Excerpted and adapted from Frederick T. McGill, Jr. and Virginia F. McGill, Something Like a Star (Boston: Star Island Corporation, 1989). Used with permission.In July of 1896, Thomas H….
Handout 1: The Almighty Love
From Faith Like a River

From Eugene B. Navias, Singing Our History (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1975). The lyrics of “The Almighty Love” were written by Theodore Parker (1810-1860). In 1841, early in his ministry, Parker preached a controversial sermon, “The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity.”…
Handout 2: Defining Moments
From Faith Like a River

These readings accompany Leader Resource 2, From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian. SECTION 1: Arius’s Letter to Eusebius (319 C.E.) But what is it that we say and believe, and that we have taught and teach?…
Handout 3: Remembering the Iowa Sisterhood
From Faith Like a River

The words “Great Over-Soul and Inter-Heart” were written by Mary Safford (1895) and edited by Eugene B. Navias to be sung to the tune Duke Street L.M., Hymn 35 in Singing the Living Tradition. Ministers of the Iowa Sisterhood Mary Augusta Safford Eleanor Gordon Florence Buck Mary Collson Caroline…
Leader Resource 1: William Ellery Channing, Portrait
From Faith Like a River

From the Unitarian Universalist Association archives.
Leader Resource 2: From Antitrinitarian to Unitarian
From Faith Like a River

The five readings requested below are provided on Handout 2, Defining Moments. Distribute Handout 2, Defining Moments and invite volunteers to read quotes from the handout as indicated while you present this material….
Find Out More
From Faith Like a River

The History of Unitarianism Howe, Charles A. https://books.google.com/books/about/For_Faith_and_Freedom.html?id=442f… Faith and Freedom: A Short History of Unitarianism in Europe (Boston: Skinner House, 1997) Parke, David. T… Epic of Unitarianism: Original Writings from the History of Liberal…