Closing (5 minutes)
Materials for Activity
- Altar or centering table
- Cloth for covering altar or centering table
- Chalice and candle
- Chalice extinguisher
- Copies of the Taking It Home section for this workshop—one for each participant
- A copy of the closing words you want to use
Preparation for Activity
- Review the Taking It Home section for this workshop and decide which extension activities you will encourage participants to do as follow-up.
- Download the Taking It Home section to your computer, customize it for your group, and print out and photocopy it.
- Review the closing words. Decide whether you wish to use these, or another closing. Print out a copy of the closing words you will use. Place your copy of the closing words near the chalice.
Description of Activity
Gather participants around the altar or centering table. Affirm the good work that participants have done in this workshop.Hand out the Taking It Home section you have prepared. Invite participants to "take the workshop home" and explain the activities, as needed. Be sure to be inclusive of people with a variety of living situations—living alone, with a significant other, in a family, with housemates, etc.—in the way you explain the Taking It Home activities.
Offer this or a similar invitation to participants:
As you feel moved, call out an image or a word or phrase for something you heard or got in touch with that you want to recognize.
After several participants have called out images, words, or phrases, conclude with your closing words:
We give thanks for the Spirit of Life
moving through our lives.
When we give attention to and thanks for
the gifts we have received,
we are reminded to share them.
Extinguish the chalice candle. Thank and dismiss participants.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
