Unitarian minister Robert Fulghum wrote in his book From Beginning to End that although “we wrestled with [the idea of Holy Communion] in the church I served for many years,” still, “my congregation was open to experiencing some similar act of community in a religious setting."
His response? To pass out bits of tangerine.
“So how did it go? I wish I could say it was overwhelmingly successful and ever since that day the congregation observes a tangerine communion. But not so. Why? Well, it's hard to say exactly .... there wasn't a groundswell of enthusiasm for that particular act of community ....
"The experimentation continued. Wanting to stay on a level the children could understand, we used animal crackers one Sunday ....
“Good idea. But when the crackers were passed in baskets, some small children got worked up over not having their choice of animals. The wail went up from more than one child. ‘I want a gorilla. How come he gets a gorilla, and I don’t?’ Even more unhappy were those who got a maimed animal or just a part. ‘I don't want a leg -- I want a whole zebra!’ An entire basket of animal crackers was spilled when two children tried sorting through the cookies at the same time ....
"I don't give up easily.
"We tried Gummi Bears, jelly beans, and M&Ms (which do, too, melt in your hands, especially in church). The all-time lulu was something called Pop Rocks -- a grape candy loaded with carbon dioxide that sort of exploded in your mouth when you bit down on it, producing a lavender froth around the lips and a purple stain on tongues that lasted a couple of days ....”
Fulghum’s conclusion? Here it is:
"Reformation is never simple, never easy, never quick."