Flower Ceremony at Church

Oh, Give Us Pleasure in the the Flowers Today

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

and give us not to think so far away as the uncertain harvest:

keep us here all simply in the springing of the year.

For this is love and nothing else is love, 

the which it is reserved for God above to sanctify 

to what far ends he will,

but which it only needs that we fulfill. 

The significance of the flower communion is that as no two flowers are alike, 

so no two people are alike, yet each has a contribution to make. 

Together the different flowers form a beautiful bouquet.

By exchanging flowers, 

we show our willingness to walk together in our search for truth, 

disregarding all that might divide us. 

Each person takes home a flower brought by someone else - 

thus symbolizing our shared celebration in community.

This unique ritual was first developed in the nation 

of Czechoslovakia by Norbert Capek.  

In a nation where many of the converts to Unitarianism

came from a wide range of Jewish and Christian backgrounds, 

the need to provide some sort of ceremony 

that would unify the membershipbecame apparent. 

Rather than draw on rituals related to the previous affiliations of 

Unitarian members, Capek decided to incorporate something

of nature into a rite that could involve everyone who wished to participate,

while still leaving room for some individual interpretations 

of the symbolism behind the ritual.