Kristin Maier, author of A Good Telling: Bringing Worship to Life with Story (Skinner House Books, 2013) shares the first in a series of tips for good storytelling. Purchase A Good Telling at the UUA Bookstore.

Good stories are central to good worship. As a Time for All Ages, as part of a sermon, or as part of a multigenerational service, stories engage our hearts and minds and help us grow.

Stories from Other Unitarian Universalist (UU) Sources

Storytelling in Worship

✳ Pssst! Have you visited our Storytelling page? It's filled with tips, how-to's, and lots of resources!

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5

  • Once upon a time there was a family. Maybe this family had not quite enough to eat. Or maybe they had just about enough. Or … perhaps they had MORE than enough. You might not have been able to tell. THEY might not have been able to tell. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have enough or not.
    Story | By Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt | April 3, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), Abundance, Family, Generosity, Home, Hospitality, Humanism, Inclusion, Secular, Stewardship, Thanksgiving, Unitarian Universalism, Wealth
  • Once upon a time, a baby was born. Even before that baby was born, there were people waiting and wishing and hoping for that baby. The people who were waiting and wishing and hoping for that baby didn’t know exactly what that baby would be like. And so, they wondered: Would the baby have a smile...
    Time for All Ages | By Gwen Matthews | January 23, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Awe, Child Dedication, Children, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Family, Fathers, Generations, Humanism, Mothers, Parents, Secular, Tradition
  • Mary: Hi! Are you on the way to the hill country, too? I’m going to the hill country. I'm on my way to see my cousin Elizabeth. I can’t wait to tell her what happened: the Angel Gabriel came to me and said that I’m going to have a baby, and that I should name him Jesus. The angel said, “He...
    Script | By Lyn Cox | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Children, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Family, Mothers, Parents
  • Once there was and once there was not a town on the edge of the swamp in the sultry summer weather of far south Florida, between the alligators and the ocean. In this town there were two amazing friends, Sam and Joseph. They were a lot alike. They liked the same foods. They liked the same books.
    Story | By Naomi King | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Family, Imagination, Life Transition, Playfulness, Revelation, Secular
  • For any of the components, below, you might insert other options from WorshipWeb's resources -- or write your own!...
    Complete Service | By Anonymous | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Aging, Children, Coming of Age, Faith, Family, Generations, Growth, History, Parents, Unitarian Universalism