Opening
Activity time: 5 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Altar or centering table
- Cloth for covering altar or centering table
- Chalice and candle
- Matches or lighter
- Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the UUA hymnbook (one per person)
- Optional: A piano, guitar, or other form of accompaniment
- Optional: Microphone
Preparation for Activity
- Arrange for musical accompaniment if you believe it will be necessary for singing "Here We Have Gathered."
- Set up the altar or centering table with the cloth, chalice, candle, and matches or a lighter.
- Place copies of Singing the Living Tradition on or next to participants' chairs.
Description of Activity
Welcome participants to Spirit in Practice.
Ask the group to turn to "To Worship" by Jacob Trapp, 441 in Singing the Living Tradition. You may wish to share with participants that Jacob Trapp was a twentieth-century Unitarian Universalist minister. Invite a participant to light the chalice as the group reads responsively.
After the reading, ask the group to turn to "Here We Have Gathered," 360 in Singing the Living Tradition. Invite the group to join in singing. If the group is largely unfamiliar with the song, you may need to teach them the tune.
Including All Participants
If your congregation has large-print and/or Braille versions of Singing the Living Tradition, make those copies available for participants who might need them. Using a microphone for this activity helps more people hear you.