A congregant approached me after service with a broad smile and a gleam in her eye. “That was the first exegesis of a picture book I’ve ever heard!” she exclaimed. As with all worship services I design, I had woven the opening words, hymns, the message for all ages, and the sermon into a cohesive whole. By projecting compelling images and moving my whole body, I had reached the congregants not simply through an auditory mode but also through visual and kinesthetic channels. As a trained educator, I craft worship and rituals to engage all of our senses, making services both meaningful and memorable.
Worship services are at the center of our congregational lives, introducing visitors to — and reminding congregants of — the vibrant, life-giving, and transformative power of Unitarian Universalism. Knowing this important role of worship, I’m committed to thoughtfully and heartfully designing services.
Within the field of librarianship, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop advocates for children’s books to serve as “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors.” I envision the same for our communal worship experiences: Every person should get to experience themselves as represented through the readings, music, stories, and/or leaders while also learning about other perspectives. Approaching the creation of worship with such a commitment is vital to our faith’s ongoing work to decenter whiteness and lift up the experiences of people who have been historically marginalized.