An Intergenerational Service

with a Child Dedication

was held on Sunday, June 30, 2024. 

 

 

Story for All Ages

An intergenerational service is designed to engage all ages—from babies to elders–in a shared experience of spiritual growth. One part of this type of service is the Story for All Ages. The idea is to tell or read a short story that will appeal to everyone in the congregation, from little kids to adults. The stories can be funny or serious and usually teach a lesson. This service had two Story for All Ages.

Bethany Snyder read “Grow Happy” by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser and Sara Paterson read “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” by Emily Winfield Martin. “Grow Happy” helps kids to understand that they play an important role in cultivating their own happiness using resources at their own disposal. “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” lets children know that they can be anybody they want to be. It discusses the uniqueness of each person and all the attributes one has to offer to the world.

Songs and Hymns

 

 

The children in Religious Education, or RE as it’s known, practiced singing the song, “Peace Like a River,” with Bill Hufford, and sang it at the service, as the rest of the congregation joined in. The children learned different hand movements to accompany each verse. Later in the service, a favorite UU hymn, “We Are One,”  was sung.

Poems, Prayers and Drawings by Relgious Education Kids

 

 

 

Some of the RE students shared a poem, a prayer or a drawing. Graham Snyder and Henry Snyder both recited poems that they memorized. Graham Paterson recited a prayer that his family says before meals. Henry and Graham Snyder showed the pictures that they drew; the pictures were posted on the wall after the service. 

Flower Communion

An important ritual in the UU community is the flower communion. We did an adapted version of the ritual at the service. It 

happens to be a favorite of Maureen Ittig, who explained the meaning of the ritual to the congregation.  

The Flower Communion service was created by Norbert Capek (1870-1942), who founded the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia. He introduced this special service to that church on June 4, 1923. For some time he had felt the need for some symbolic ritual that would bind people more closely together.

He turned to the native beauty of their countryside for elements of a communion which would be genuine to them. This simple service was the result. It was such a success that it was held yearly just before the summer recess of the church.

The flower communion was brought to the United States in 1940 and introduced to the members of our Cambridge, Massachusetts, church by Dr. Capek’s wife, Maja V. Capek. The Czech-born Maja had met Norbert Capek in New York City while he was studying for his Ph.D., and it was at her urging that Norbert left the Baptist ministry and turned to Unitarianism.

The Capeks returned to Czechoslovakia in 1921 and established the dynamic liberal church in Prague; Maja Capek was ordained in 1926. It was during her tour of the United States that Maja introduced the flower communion, which had been developed in the Prague church, at the Unitarian church in Cambridge.

Unfortunately, Maja was unable to return to Prague due to the outbreak of World War II, and it was not until the war was over that Norbert Capek’s death in a Nazi concentration camp was revealed. From this beginning the service has spread to many of our Unitarian Universalist congregations and has been adapted along the way.

People were asked to bring a flower of their choice, either from their own gardens. or from the field or roadside. When they arrived at church a large vase stood waiting in the vestibule, attended by two young members of the Church School. Each person was asked to place their own flower in the vase. This signified that it was by their own free will they joined with the others. The vase that contained all the flowers was a symbol of the united church fellowship.

The young attendants helped with the arrangement of the bouquet. Later they carried the vase up to the front of the auditorium and placed it on a table there. Dr. Capek then said a prayer, after which he walked over and consecrated the flowers while the congregation stood. The two attendants then took the vase back out into the vestibule.

After the service, as people left the church, they went to the vase and each took a flower from the vase other than the one that they had brought. The significance of the flower communion is that as no two flowers are alike, so no two people are alike, yet each has a contribution to make. Together the different flowers form a beautiful bouquet. Our common bouquet would not be the same without the unique addition of each individual flower, and thus it is with our
church community, it would not be the same without each and every one of us. Thus this service is a statement of our community.

Child Dedication

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A UU child dedication ritual is a blessing for the new life of the child, an expresson of the parents’ hopes for the child and a promise by the congregtion to support and nurture the child. Dory Sue Paterson, child of Ian and Sara Paterson, was dedicated at this service. Amy Meier, Sara’s mother and Susanne (Sue) Paterson, Ian’s mother were present at the dedication. Sara’s brother, Don Meier, and Kelsie Hernandez, Ian’s sister were present on Zoom as Dory Sue’s godparents. Bethany Snyder’s parents, Sheila and Ed Neiderhiser also joined the service on Zoom. 

Blessing of the Religious Education Kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students who participated in Religious Education this year were acknowledged, with a special blessing by Bill Hufford, and a certificate.

The students were: Oak and Juniper De Groote, Graham Paterson, and Henry and Graham Snyder. 

 

An Added Attraction!

 

 

Rowan DeGroote joined in the service, too.