The Flower Ceremony is an annual Unitarian Universalist ritual that celebrates beauty, diversity, community and the unique qualities individuals bring to our Fellowship.
The ceremony is sometimes referred to as the Flower Communion or the Flower Festival. Norbert Capek, a Unitarian minister in Prague, Czechoslovakia, created the ritual in 1923. His wife, the Rev. Maya Capek, brought it to the United States. (Norbert Capek died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.)
The basic idea is simple. Everyone brings a flower to the service. Each person places a flower a vases, creating an arrangement. At the end of the service, everyone leaves with a flower someone else brought. In between, service leader Pat Hart and other members of the Fellowship will have something to say in celebration of our religious community. You can learn more about the ceremony here.
The UU Singers also will sing, as will the congregation, and accompanist Hongling Liang will play during the offering. Here’s what else is happening on Sunday.
9:30 a.m. Adult Religious Education: “How Did Jesus Become God?” A continuing series led by Rick Spradlin.
9:30 a.m. UU Singers practice. (Join us. It’s fun.)
10:30 a.m. Coffee and conversation before the service. (And after!)
10:45 a.m. Sunday Service. (The Flower Ceremony.)
10:50 a.m. The kids join us for the first few minutes of the service, which usually includes a children’s story. Then they adjourn to a classroom for their own activities.
Childcare is available from 9:30 a.m. until noon.