The service at the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater was astonishing to me. It was an amazing experience and nothing like I thought it would be. It was very welcome to the public and was packed with people. Upon arrival you are asked to take your shoes off at the door for respect and tradition. Before the service began I took note of my surroundings and noticed that many of the followers were wearing ornately colored robes. The alter was equally as beautiful, and overall I was impressed by the simple, yet colorful decor. The ceremony began with wise words from the speaker, leaving most everyone silent to fully grasp what he was saying. Once the speaker was done with his lecture the other members of the Unitarian Universalist center began to play various foreign instruments which I did not recognize. There were not many instruments, and the music was played very softly as background music. The hymns that they sang were soft and hard to hear, but prior to the service they handed out pamphlets with the words to all of the prayers and songs. This came to good use. Following the songs the speaker led us in prayer. He asked us to join hands, and began to recite a very well put together prayer. At first I was somewhat hesitant to hold hands with strangers, but thankfully I had a friend with me. The words were short and yet the meaning behind them seemed to be more than what meets the eye.
Once we were done with prayer, the leaders took us outside for the 'releasing of the worms'. My initial reaction was to leave right then, but I figured I should stay for fair judgment. We lined up across the field and passed a can around until dozens and dozens of worms were released into nature. The reason behind this had to do with enforcing the 'circle of life' or so to speak. The ritual was very foreign to me, and like nothing I had ever seen. In fact, overall the whole experience was different than any church I had ever been to.
Needless to say it was a very enjoyable...