Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice: An Adult Program for Developing A Regular Practice of the Spirit

Closing

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Altar or centering table
  • Cloth for covering altar or centering table
  • Chalice and candle
  • Chalice extinguisher
  • Copies of customized Taking It Home handout (see Preparation)
  • Optional: Microphone

Preparation for Activity

  • Review the Taking It Home section of this workshop and decide which extension activities you will encourage participants to do.
  • Download the Taking It Home section to your computer, customize it for your group, and make a printout or photocopy for each participant.
  • Review the closing words. Decide whether you wish to use these words or another closing. Print out a copy of the closing words you will use. Place your copy of the closing words near the chalice.

Description of Activity

Gather participants around the altar or centering table. Affirm the good work that participants have done in this workshop.

Offer an opportunity for the group to reflect back over the workshop, seeking what are sometimes called "like and wishes." Ask participants, if they wish, to briefly share something they particularly liked about their experience and one thing they wish for in the future. If the group is small or there is extra time, allow participants to speak freely. If the group is large or time is tight, limit people's sharing so that all who wish to will have the opportunity.

Distribute and explain your customized Taking It Home handout. Indicate that each workshop will include a similar handout with ideas for how to continue exploring the workshop's subject with friends and family.

Make any announcements concerning the next meeting, especially any changes to routine (such as a change in meeting time or place, a guest presenter, etc.).

Close the workshop with this ritual: The leader takes the hand of the person on his/her right while saying, "I put my hand in yours so that we might do together what we cannot do alone." That person, still holding the leader's hand, then takes the hand of the person on his/her right, saying the same thing. When this saying has gone completely around the circle, and everyone is holding hands, the workshop has ended. Extinguish the chalice.

Including All Participants

Be sure to be inclusive of people with a variety of living situations-living alone, with a significant other, in a family, with housemates, etc.-in the way you explain the Taking It Home activities.

You may wish to adapt the closing ritual to make it more comfortable for people who are averse to holding hands. You can change the words to "I reach out to you so that we might do together what we cannot do alone" and change the accompanying gesture to reaching rather than holding hands.