Jen Gibson — Rising and Rooting: The Spirit of Easter and the Flower Communion
April 20 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday Service — 10:30 a.m.
Flower Communion
During today’s service, we will celebrate our Annual Flower Communion—a cherished tradition of beauty, diversity, and shared community.
We invite you to bring a single flower or a full bouquet to place on the altar. After a blessing, you will be invited to come forward and receive a flower that you did not bring, symbolizing our shared connection and the gifts we give and receive in community.
This simple yet meaningful ceremony honors the cycle of life, renewal, and the arrival of spring. Each flower, unique in its own way, reminds us of the beauty found in diversity and the strength of our gathered community.
The Flower Communion was created in 1923 by Rev. Norbert Čapek, founder of the Unitarian Church in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His wife, Rev. Maja Čapek, later introduced the tradition to the United States. Tragically, Norbert Čapek lost his life in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, but his legacy of unity and peace lives on through this beloved ritual.
We hope you find meaning and joy in this time-honored tradition.
Leader — Jen Gibson
Speaker — Jen Gibson
Title — Rising and Rooting: The Spirit of Easter and the Flower Communion
Topic — A Unitarian Universalist reflection on personal growth, community, and the enduring power of shared ritual. This talk explores how the spirit of Easter and the legacy of the Flower Communion invite us to root ourselves in love, rise into authenticity, and bloom together in beloved community.
Bio — Jen Gibson is a member of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, where she serves as both the Administrative Coordinator and a member of the Board as Trustee for Social Media, Advertising, and Growth. She also serves on the Board of the historic Universalist Herald magazine. Born and raised in the Mansfield area, Jen still calls it home, where she lives with her husband, Rob, their daughter, Carolynn, and their spirited cat, Sirius Black. Raised Catholic, Jen found her spiritual home at All Souls in 2017, drawn to the church’s balance of humanist values and inclusive spiritual exploration.
Join us downstairs after service for coffee and conversation.
Masks are optional in the building, and we fully support individuals’ choices regarding their use.