Tips for UU Worship - Balancing Food and Facts

Don’t overload people with the facts. The temptation to turn the service into an educational lecture is particularly strong when the worship focuses on a social justice issue. For every issue worth leading a service on, there are pages of relevant facts that are not known to the general public. However, only a few key facts need to be shared in a worship service. You may convince some people with the first few facts, but after a while, the use of facts is less and less effective—and many people tune out.             

People come to worship for spiritual sustenance. Their souls want to be nourished. (At my congregation, the young adult weekly meeting is aptly titled “Sustenance for the Soul." ) Show congregants how the message you are offering can make their spiritual life better. Here’s an example. Message: “We will be more effective in our fight for social justice if we learn to listen to what other people are saying.” Food: “As we develop our listening skills, we will be come closer to our friends, political allies, and fellow congregants.”