Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Leader Resource 1: WCUU Script - UU Youth Speak

To the Anchor:

In today's WCUU program, everyone in Riddle and Mystery will be part of the show, forming a human chalice and sharing thoughts about being a Unitarian Universalist. Your job is to follow the script, read your part and otherwise keep things going.

Before the show begins, make sure everyone knows where to be at different times during the broadcast. As the show begins, you are standing alone on camera.

[Director: Cue the station break.]

[Director: Cue the Anchor.]

Anchor: This is WCUU, Wisdom of the Community of Unitarian Universalists, on the air.

[Director: Cue the theme music.]

Anchor: Good morning. I am [say your real or stage name], here in our studio for our final broadcast. Joining me now to form an unusual human chalice are many of the sixth graders at [say your congregation's name.]

[Director: Cue the human youth chalice to get into formation. Cue camera operator to focus on the human youth chalice.]

Anchor: Now there is a wonderful youth chalice! Let's hear what these youth each have to say about our faith, Unitarian Universalism, and today's Big Question, "What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?"

[Director: Cue camera operator to focus on the individual—someone not in the human chalice!—who will read the first statement and give their own answer to the Big Question. Cue the other youth to queue up as you decided before the show. Cue the Anchor to hand the basket to the person for them to choose a slip of paper.

Anchor: [Name of the first youth], what do you have to tell us?

First youth: [Reads their slip of paper aloud and then briefly answers "What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?"]

[Director: Cue youth who are part of the human chalice to quietly separate and join the queue. Continue until all the youth have spoken.]

Anchor: That was wonderful! Thank you all! Um... I did not get a chance to say anything about today's Big Question. [Anchor chooses as slip of paper from the basket and reads it aloud. If they wish to, they may also provide their own, brief personal answer.] Oh good. Well now we know how some UUs respond to the question of what Unitarian Universalism means to them. Let's ask NUUs Analyst to tell us what this means.

[Director: Cue NUUs Analyst to joins Anchor on camera.]

[Director: If you have decided to do so beforehand, cue the youth to remake the human chalice (without the NUUs Analyst this time).]

NUUs Analyst: Good morning [use Anchor's name].

Anchor: Good morning to you, NUUs Analyst. Now, what can you tell us about what Unitarian Universalists have to say?

NUUs Analyst: A whole lot. There are about 165,000 adult members of UU congregations and about 56,000 children and youth. That means at least 221,000 answers to today's Big Question. Unitarian Universalism means lots of different things. It is a wonderful way to explore mystery and all sorts of big questions. It helps all its members and friends on their faith journeys. It gives them a way to participate in great social justice programs. It gives them a faith community, and it gives them much more.

Anchor: Thank you, NUUs Analyst. That is a wonderful summary.

NUUs Analyst: But that was only four answers. I have about two hundred twenty thousand, nine hundred and ninety-six to go!

Anchor: Sorry, NUUs Analyst: We don't have time for that.

NUUs Anchor: So can I come back next week?

Anchor: Sorry about that, NUUs Analyst. WCUU goes off the air today. This is the end of Riddle and Mystery.

NUUs Analyst: It is? I didn't know that. [Begins to sob uncontrollably.]

Anchor: It isn't that bad, NUUs Analyst. We can find something else that is fun to do!

NUUs Analyst: [To the youth who are back in the human chalice formation] Did you hear that, guys? Riddle and Mystery is ending today. You should be crying too!

[Director: Cue the youth in the human chalice to begin sobbing uncontrollably.]

Anchor: Help! I don't know what to do.

[Director: Cue Riddle and Mystery leader to join Anchor and NUUs Analyst.]

Leader: I can help. Stop weeping, guys! I have two surprises for you.

[The crying stops.]

Anchor: Oh yeah? Surprises? What are they?

Leader: The first one is this. Our WCUU broadcasts might be ending, but our UU search is not. It never really ends. So I have a WCUU Press Pass for each and every one of you, with your name on it. Your press pass entitles the bearer to explore the riddles and mysteries of the universe through all of life, and maybe beyond. Keep asking those Big Questions!

Anchor: Wow! Cool!

[Director: Cue youth to come forward to get press passes.]

Anchor: So what is the second surprise?

Leader: Because this is our final meeting of Riddle and Mystery, we have a special, celebratory snack.

[Director: Cue youth to start eating snack.]

Anchor: Let me at it!

Leader: We will get the snack out, Anchor. You go ahead and close the show so all our viewers don't have to sit around watching us eat.

Anchor: Okay. Let's go with the music.

[Director: Cue the theme music.]

[Director: Cue the station break.]

[Director: Cue the Anchor.]

Anchor: This is [your real or stage name] signing off for WCUU.