Activity 3: Sharing the Blessings
Part of Spirit of Life
Activity time: 30 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Optional: Cordless microphone(s)
Preparation for Activity
- If more than five small groups have created blessings, think creatively about how each group can present within the allotted time.
- If you have decided to divide your whole group into two, separate groups to share blessings, arrange to use an additional meeting space for this activity.
Description of Activity
Gather participants together to enact the blessings. Remind participants that the blessings will flow in this order: Blessing of our minds, our hearts, our hands, our spirits, and our community. Ask participants to maintain silence between the blessings. Invite them to pay attention to the flow of the blessings as a whole, as well as to the role of their small group's work in shaping the overall experience.
Invite participants to get comfortable in their chairs, take some deep breaths, and prepare to receive the blessings. Signal the first small group to begin.
After the groups have conducted their blessings, guide a discussion with these questions:
- What was this experience like for you? (Acknowledge that the group probably has a range of responses, from "awkward" to "deeply meaningful.")
- What are you going to carry forward from this experience?
- Looking more broadly, what are some other ways that you can connect your spirituality with expression of care and compassion?