Main Content

Worship Lab

Worship Tips

Welcome to the WorshipLab

This new space is where we roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of crafting worship — which is about more than just choosing words. We expect to publish posts every three weeks on a range of worship-related topics. Upcoming guest bloggers include Becky Brooks and the Revs. Kristin Grassel Schmidt & Christian Schmidt.

What Story Are You Telling?
What Story Are You Telling?

What story are you telling when you use a picture book in worship? In one of the congregations I served, lay services often included a skit as the Time for All Ages. Worship leaders would invariably end up holding a sheaf of paper, reading their lines, as they stood in...
By Becky Brooks | 2/15/2018
Give the DJ a Break, or: What Worship Leaders Wish You Knew
Give the DJ a Break, or: What Worship Leaders Wish You Knew

My friend Jeff is a wicked good wedding DJ. He loves his work, but sometimes encounters a struggle that (I’m guessing) will resonate with many worship leaders: guests who assume that it's his job to make them happy. Robin and Jack’s wedding reception was especially...
By Erika A. Hewitt, Erica Baron | 1/10/2018
What You're Saying When You Say "I Don't Need a Mic"
What You're Saying When You Say "I Don't Need a Mic"

One of ableism’s most sinister characteristics is the portrayal, both conscious and unconscious, of able bodies as the preferred norm. In the words of Rev. Suzanne Fast, this “reinforces societal attitudes that people with disabilities are worth less” than those with able bodies...
By Erika A. Hewitt | 8/31/2017
10 Things My Gym Taught Me about How to Be Welcoming in Worship
10 Things My Gym Taught Me about How to Be Welcoming in Worship

I begin this post on a personal note so you’ll understand this isn't about “swimsuit season.” A year ago, I completed treatment for breast cancer, whose chemo/radiation combo trashed my muscles and joints. I was often winded, back then, and experienced debilitating knee pain. My...
By Erika A. Hewitt | 8/8/2017
What's the Big Deal about Embodied Imagery in Worship?
What's the Big Deal about Embodied Imagery in Worship?

In Unitarian Universalist worship, we march for justice and stand for causes all the time; we also see clearly, raise our voices, and hear the truth. We bless the hands that reach out, and the feet that follow the ways of righteousness. If we like something, chances are good...
By Suzanne Fast | 5/29/2017
A Commitment to Multicultural Worship
A Commitment to Multicultural Worship

In every worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, you’ll hear diverse voices, sources, and viewpoints. The congregation is committed to being a multicultural community, and honors that commitment in every service in a measurable, noticeable way: at least...
By Christian Schmidt, Kristin Grassel Schmidt | 3/7/2017
Silence, Please (Or, How Worship Leaders Are Losing a Golden Opportunity)
Silence, Please (Or, How Worship Leaders Are Losing a Golden Opportunity)

Experienced worship leaders will tell you that on some Sundays, our people arrive to worship in such extravert mode that their lively chatter fills the room, while on other mornings our people arrive subdued and reflective, and the worship space feels heavy with anticipation. We...
By Erika A. Hewitt | 2/9/2017

About the Author

Erika A. Hewitt

Erika Hewitt is the UUA's Minister of Worship Arts and Editor of Braver/Wiser , a weekly spirituality series. She also serves as a Unitarian Universalist parish minister and wedding officiant in Maine. Her book of theme-based ministry resources, co-written with educator Becky...