The Water Communion is one of only a few UU traditions which has been celebrated for forty years. After the hot summer, we share some of the water, the source of life, we have saved from our journeys this year. We combine our waters here in the desert as a symbol of our belonging to our community, our dedication to life, and our connection to all of nature.
The Water Communion, or Water Ceremony, was first used at a Unitarian Universalist (UU) worship service in the 1980s. Many UU congregations now hold a Water Communion once a year, often at the beginning of the new church year (September). Members bring to the service a small amount of water from a place that is special to them. During the appointed time in the service, people one by one pour their water together into a large bowl. As the water is added, the person who brought it tells why this water is special to them. The combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources. It is often then blessed by the congregation, and sometimes is later boiled and used as the congregation’s “holy water” in child dedication ceremonies and similar events.
Topics: In-Gathering, Meditation/Mindfulness, Sources of UUism