Spirit Play (4-5 year-olds)
This week children worked with the Flaming Chalice Lesson which is a central liturgical lesson in Spirit Play.
Wondering Questions:
I wonder what part of it you like best?
I wonder what part is most important?
I wonder how big this community could really be?
I wonder who is in this community?
I wonder if the people in the community have names?
I wonder how it feels to be in this community?
I wonder where you are in this community?
I wonder if you have ever made a promise?
I wonder what happens when you break a promise?
I wonder if a promise is different than a wish?
I wonder if there is one promise that is more important than the others?
I wonder if there is one promise that we could remove and still live together peacefully?
I wonder what would happen if the promises weren’t here?
I wonder what would happen if someone new came to join this community?
I wonder if you have ever come close to the Mystery?
I wonder if you have ever felt the Spirit of Love and Mystery?
Extension wondering questions:
I wonder if you have ever taken care of a plant?
I wonder if you have ever taken care of an animal?
I wonder how plants and animals can be part of our community?
I wonder how big our community can really be?
Grades K-2: Wonderful Welcome
Taking It Home, Session 11: The Gift Of Stewardship
In "Wonderful Welcome," a Tapestry of Faith program
I tell you the truth; this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.
— Mark 12:43-44 (NIV)
IN TODAY'S SESSION...
The children learned the importance of stewardship in congregational life. In an adaptation of a biblical parable, The Most Generous Gift, the children heard a story about a poor woman who gives one "mite," a coin worth less than one penny yet half of all she has, to the donation box after hearing a sermon by Jesus. Jesus proclaims that her gift is more valuable than that of the wealthy who gave much more, because she gave all she could.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about...
Here are some questions related to stewardship for your family to discuss.
- What does stewardship mean to each of us?
- What are some ways we contribute to the congregation?
- What are some other ways we could give of our time and our resources to enrich our faith community?
- Do family members ever get money as gifts for birthdays or other special events? How do we encourage one another to donate some of the money to the congregation?
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...
Discuss the importance of giving to the congregation and share with your child(ren) stories about how you have given your time, talents or treasure to the church. If children receive an allowance, talk about giving a percentage to the congregation. Take this opportunity to nurture a culture of generosity and stewardship within your family when your children are young.
A FAMILY RITUAL
Once a month, have a family meeting to discuss how the family will work together in support of a congregation project. If the congregation has a published mission, perhaps begin the meeting by reading that aloud. If there is not a current project, perhaps volunteer as a family to host coffee hour. The children can help bake or choose the snacks to be purchased.
Grades 3-5: Love Will Guide Us
Taking It Home, Session 5: We Are Loved, Flaws and All
When you are in the presence of the Holy Spirit, it is like sitting in front of a fire that does not burn you, but suffuses you with its qualities — its warmth, glow, and color. And as you are there, in the presence of the Spirit, you also become suffused with the divine attributes of compassion, gentleness, and love, without your doing anything about it except to be there. You are loved and you are held in this love.
— Bishop Desmond Tutu, South African cleric and activist
IN TODAY'S SESSION... We looked at how the transformation of a flaw into something beautiful can astound us, through the lens of the first Unitarian Universalist Source:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life.
This Source is expressed in children's language as, "the sense of wonder we all share." We discussed how turning an imperfection into something beautiful can create a moment of "wow," in our hearts. In the story, "The Scratched Diamond," a gem carver uses a scratch on a diamond as the stem of a beautiful etched rose. Participants had the opportunity to turn knots or cracks in wooden treasure boxes into beautiful designs.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... ways you can transform uncomfortable situations, poor choices, bad behaviors, or imperfect objects into beauty. Watch for opportunities to:
- Find gratitude in the midst of a disappointment, by taking the time to name your blessings. See if you can find or create a new opportunity resulting from the disappointment.
- Talk about a failure, mistake, or poor choice See what new ideas or learning it provided. Point out that learning from our mistakes and succeeding at turning a bad situation around are important achievements that can make us feel a "wow" in our hearts.
- Turn a broken toy into something new.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try... learning about inventors, with a focus on the many mistakes an inventor must make before completing an invention. Online, view an "interview" with Thomas Edison (www.meetmeatthecorner.org/episode/happy-birthday-thomas-edison) from the Meet Me at the Corner website. Point out that mistakes are not only inevitable but necessary signs of the creativity and learning that lead to inventing something new.
Family Adventure. Take a "Wow" Walk. Make a point of noticing things around you with an attitude of wonder and awe. As you walk ponder how the things and creatures in your surroundings came to be there. Try a variety of "Wow" Walks: in the woods, in the supermarket, at a museum, in the rain.
Family Discovery. Share books that affirm the value of learning from our mistakes. Check out the Magic School Bus series of books and videos in which the main character, Ms. Frizzle, frequently states, "Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy."
A Family Game. Collect broken items or recyclable materials from around the house and work together as a family to transform them into a toy or game. You might work in teams; compete, using a scoring system that gives points for creativity, beauty, functionality, and fun.
A Family Ritual. Gather daily, or once a week, and have each family member share "wow" moments. Talk about what inspired you or evoked your awe and wonder.
Middle School
Taking It Home, Session 11: Touching All
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. — John Muir
Talk about the quote. Do you agree with it? Can you think of anything that is not connected to something else in some way? Note that John Muir was a well known American naturalist and conservationist who lived from 1838 to 1914.
WHAT WE DID TODAY
Today's Big Question asks, "How am I connected with everything else?" We heard the story of Henry Bergh, a famous Unitarian who felt so strongly connected to animals that he started the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He also started the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, but that is another story. We talked about our connections to the whole universe, and drew concentric circles to show how connections spread out from each of us to family and community to nation and to the whole universe. When we drew some lines out from ourselves, the circles began to look like a web, with us in the center connected to everything else. In WCUU, we talked about connections, community and responsibility.
REFLECT ON YOUR BELIEFS
Write some poems about how you are connected with something very far away—like the moon, or the Amazon River or a kangaroo in Australia. The poems can be silly and fun or very serious.
SHARED SEARCH
Play a connection game with your friends or family. Count the people you connect with in any one day. Include anyone you communicate with by phone or computer, in person... everybody you can think of. Compare the totals.
MAKE A RECONNECTION
Reconnect to somebody you have not seen for a long time. Maybe they moved away, or just got busy. Find out where they are and phone them to say hello or send an email or a postcard. Or, reconnect with a place you used to love but have not visited for some time. Think about how hard it would be to stay connected to every person you ever meet and every place you ever visit.
PHOTO CHALLENGE
Ask somebody else to take a picture of you connecting with someone or something in one of your concentric circles. Tell the person taking the picture why this connection is important to you.
FAMILY FAITH IN ACTION — BEING RESPONSIBLE
Find a new way to be responsible for helping the environment that connects everything and everybody. Maybe it is as simple as helping clean up part of the Earth near your home. Maybe you will decide to eat more local foods to help reduce the expense and pollution of importing foods to your area.
This week children worked with the Flaming Chalice Lesson which is a central liturgical lesson in Spirit Play.
Wondering Questions:
I wonder if you have seen a chalice anywhere else in our church?
I wonder what part of it you like best?
I wonder what part is most important?
I wonder how big this community could really be?
I wonder who is in this community?
I wonder if the people in the community have names?
I wonder how it feels to be in this community?
I wonder where you are in this community?
I wonder if you have ever made a promise?
I wonder what happens when you break a promise?
I wonder if a promise is different than a wish?
I wonder if there is one promise that is more important than the others?
I wonder if there is one promise that we could remove and still live together peacefully?
I wonder what would happen if the promises weren’t here?
I wonder what would happen if someone new came to join this community?
I wonder if you have ever come close to the Mystery?
I wonder if you have ever felt the Spirit of Love and Mystery?
Extension wondering questions:
I wonder if you have ever taken care of a plant?
I wonder if you have ever taken care of an animal?
I wonder how plants and animals can be part of our community?
I wonder how big our community can really be?
Grades K-2: Wonderful Welcome
Taking It Home, Session 11: The Gift Of Stewardship
In "Wonderful Welcome," a Tapestry of Faith program
I tell you the truth; this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.
— Mark 12:43-44 (NIV)
IN TODAY'S SESSION...
The children learned the importance of stewardship in congregational life. In an adaptation of a biblical parable, The Most Generous Gift, the children heard a story about a poor woman who gives one "mite," a coin worth less than one penny yet half of all she has, to the donation box after hearing a sermon by Jesus. Jesus proclaims that her gift is more valuable than that of the wealthy who gave much more, because she gave all she could.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about...
Here are some questions related to stewardship for your family to discuss.
- What does stewardship mean to each of us?
- What are some ways we contribute to the congregation?
- What are some other ways we could give of our time and our resources to enrich our faith community?
- Do family members ever get money as gifts for birthdays or other special events? How do we encourage one another to donate some of the money to the congregation?
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...
Discuss the importance of giving to the congregation and share with your child(ren) stories about how you have given your time, talents or treasure to the church. If children receive an allowance, talk about giving a percentage to the congregation. Take this opportunity to nurture a culture of generosity and stewardship within your family when your children are young.
A FAMILY RITUAL
Once a month, have a family meeting to discuss how the family will work together in support of a congregation project. If the congregation has a published mission, perhaps begin the meeting by reading that aloud. If there is not a current project, perhaps volunteer as a family to host coffee hour. The children can help bake or choose the snacks to be purchased.
Grades 3-5: Love Will Guide Us
Taking It Home, Session 5: We Are Loved, Flaws and All
When you are in the presence of the Holy Spirit, it is like sitting in front of a fire that does not burn you, but suffuses you with its qualities — its warmth, glow, and color. And as you are there, in the presence of the Spirit, you also become suffused with the divine attributes of compassion, gentleness, and love, without your doing anything about it except to be there. You are loved and you are held in this love.
— Bishop Desmond Tutu, South African cleric and activist
IN TODAY'S SESSION... We looked at how the transformation of a flaw into something beautiful can astound us, through the lens of the first Unitarian Universalist Source:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life.
This Source is expressed in children's language as, "the sense of wonder we all share." We discussed how turning an imperfection into something beautiful can create a moment of "wow," in our hearts. In the story, "The Scratched Diamond," a gem carver uses a scratch on a diamond as the stem of a beautiful etched rose. Participants had the opportunity to turn knots or cracks in wooden treasure boxes into beautiful designs.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... ways you can transform uncomfortable situations, poor choices, bad behaviors, or imperfect objects into beauty. Watch for opportunities to:
- Find gratitude in the midst of a disappointment, by taking the time to name your blessings. See if you can find or create a new opportunity resulting from the disappointment.
- Talk about a failure, mistake, or poor choice See what new ideas or learning it provided. Point out that learning from our mistakes and succeeding at turning a bad situation around are important achievements that can make us feel a "wow" in our hearts.
- Turn a broken toy into something new.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try... learning about inventors, with a focus on the many mistakes an inventor must make before completing an invention. Online, view an "interview" with Thomas Edison (www.meetmeatthecorner.org/episode/happy-birthday-thomas-edison) from the Meet Me at the Corner website. Point out that mistakes are not only inevitable but necessary signs of the creativity and learning that lead to inventing something new.
Family Adventure. Take a "Wow" Walk. Make a point of noticing things around you with an attitude of wonder and awe. As you walk ponder how the things and creatures in your surroundings came to be there. Try a variety of "Wow" Walks: in the woods, in the supermarket, at a museum, in the rain.
Family Discovery. Share books that affirm the value of learning from our mistakes. Check out the Magic School Bus series of books and videos in which the main character, Ms. Frizzle, frequently states, "Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy."
A Family Game. Collect broken items or recyclable materials from around the house and work together as a family to transform them into a toy or game. You might work in teams; compete, using a scoring system that gives points for creativity, beauty, functionality, and fun.
A Family Ritual. Gather daily, or once a week, and have each family member share "wow" moments. Talk about what inspired you or evoked your awe and wonder.
Middle School
Taking It Home, Session 11: Touching All
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. — John Muir
Talk about the quote. Do you agree with it? Can you think of anything that is not connected to something else in some way? Note that John Muir was a well known American naturalist and conservationist who lived from 1838 to 1914.
WHAT WE DID TODAY
Today's Big Question asks, "How am I connected with everything else?" We heard the story of Henry Bergh, a famous Unitarian who felt so strongly connected to animals that he started the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He also started the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, but that is another story. We talked about our connections to the whole universe, and drew concentric circles to show how connections spread out from each of us to family and community to nation and to the whole universe. When we drew some lines out from ourselves, the circles began to look like a web, with us in the center connected to everything else. In WCUU, we talked about connections, community and responsibility.
REFLECT ON YOUR BELIEFS
Write some poems about how you are connected with something very far away—like the moon, or the Amazon River or a kangaroo in Australia. The poems can be silly and fun or very serious.
SHARED SEARCH
Play a connection game with your friends or family. Count the people you connect with in any one day. Include anyone you communicate with by phone or computer, in person... everybody you can think of. Compare the totals.
MAKE A RECONNECTION
Reconnect to somebody you have not seen for a long time. Maybe they moved away, or just got busy. Find out where they are and phone them to say hello or send an email or a postcard. Or, reconnect with a place you used to love but have not visited for some time. Think about how hard it would be to stay connected to every person you ever meet and every place you ever visit.
PHOTO CHALLENGE
Ask somebody else to take a picture of you connecting with someone or something in one of your concentric circles. Tell the person taking the picture why this connection is important to you.
FAMILY FAITH IN ACTION — BEING RESPONSIBLE
Find a new way to be responsible for helping the environment that connects everything and everybody. Maybe it is as simple as helping clean up part of the Earth near your home. Maybe you will decide to eat more local foods to help reduce the expense and pollution of importing foods to your area.
No comments:
Post a Comment