At our service on Sunday, July 2 we focused our service together around the idea of what it would be like to say Yes! to questions or ideas that others presented to us. Using the framework of Improv, we dived deep into the Improv rules and considered how they might apply to our UUCF community.
Two resources that I want to share with you is Shonda Rhimes’ book “The Year of Yes” and Victor Frankl’s book “Yes to Life.” Two very different sources (we are UUs, after all!) but both talk about the importance of saying yes even – especially when – we don’t know what is going to happen next.
Although we didn’t have electricity, we improvised and made it work, anyway. Together we practiced not knowing what was going to happen and moving forward. It was also our first multigenerational service! We planned, we created, we learned and we will keep experimenting. Thank you to everyone for your patience and support as we extended each other grace.
For the Reading section of the service, 24 people read quotes into the mics. Below are a couple of those quotes. I hope they encourage you and bring you joy. Think about what you might say Yes to in your life!
Those who have learned to collaborate and improvise have prevailed.
Charles Darwin
If we treat each other as if we are geniuses, poets, and artists, we have a better chance of becoming that on stage.
Del Close
And finally…..
The rules of improvisation apply beautifully to life. Never say no – you have to be interested to be interesting, and your job is to support your partners.
Scott Adsit