Session 8: The Power of Peace

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Love Connects Us, Grades 4-5

In This Section

Introduction
From Love Connects Us

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This session begins the program’s exploration of the Blake covenant phrase “to dwell together in peace”. The story spotlights Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., two…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Love Connects Us

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 10 Activity 1: Tug of Friendship 15 Activity 2: Story — The Power of Peace: Thoreau, Gandhi, and King 10 Activity 3: Chain Links — Sources of Inspiration 10 Activity 4: Motivating Speeches 10 Faith in Action: Peace Vigil Closing 5 Alternate…
Spiritual Preparation
From Love Connects Us

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for about five minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. When you feel settled and relaxed, think about the prophetic minds who have inspired you. What…
Welcoming and Entering
From Love Connects Us

Materials for Activity Card stock in various colors Scissors, including left-handed scissors Hole punch String or yarn Pencils and color markers Preparation for Activity Create a peace sign template with card stock….
Opening
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and matches or LED/battery-operated candle Newsprint, markers, and tape Peace sign ornaments cut from card stock (see Welcoming and Entering) Markers, pens, and pencils Preparation for Activity Set up chalice….
Activity 1: Tug of Friendship
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity A long rope and (optional) a utility knife Preparation for Activity Identify an open floor space large enough to accommodate all members of the group seated in a circle on the floor. If you need to, arrange for an alternate space for this activity.
Activity 2: Story - The Power of Peace: Thoreau, Gandhi, and King
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “The Power of Peace: Thoreau, Gandhi, and King” Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to share it with the group. Review the discussion questions and choose those that will best help the children share their…
Activity 3: Chain Links - Sources of Inspiration
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Construction paper in a variety of colors Markers, pens, or pencils Staplers and/or tape Preparation for Activity Cut construction paper into approximately one-inch strips. Make a sample chain….
Activity 4: Motivating Speeches
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A podium Leader Resource 1, Prophets of Nonviolence — Quotations from Thoreau, Gandhi, and King Preparation for Activity Obtain a tabletop podium or a large cardboard box to serve as a podium. Decide how to structure this activity….
Closing
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Taking It Home Preparation for Activity Download and adapt Taking It Home and copy it as a handout for all participants (or email it to all parents later). Description of Activity Gather all participants to form a circle for the closing ritual. Ask…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Love Connects Us

Reflect on and discuss with your co-leader(s): How did the timing go today? What might we do to make it better? How did participants respond to the Tug of Friendship game? How did the participants respond to the story? Did they “get” it? How did the approach you chose work in the speech-making…
Faith In Action: Peace Vigil
From Love Connects Us

Materials for Activity Tapered candles, paper cups or plates, lighter and extinguisher Poster board or card stock and thick, bold markers Handout 1, Peace Vigil Permission Form Hymnbooks or lyrics to songs to be sung at the peace vigil Preparation for Activity Decide when and where to hold the pe…
Alternate Activity 1: Peace Songs
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Songs with a message of peace, music player(s), and copies of lyrics Preparation for Activity Choose a few songs with messages of peace to play for the group….
Alternate Activity 2: Musical Chairs Remix
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Music and player, or a chime, a gong, or bells Chairs for all participants; or, large sheets of newsprint or poster board and (optional) scissors Preparation for Activity Identify a large, open space where you can arrange chairs in a circle or oval…
Alternate Activity 3: Peace Candles
From Love Connects Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Candles (votives or tea lights), lighter, extinguisher, and a bowl or plate of sand to hold the candles Chalice, candle, lighter, and extinguisher Optional: A basket of stones and a bowl of water Preparation for Activity Decide whether to use candl…
Taking It Home: The Power of Peace
From Love Connects Us

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. IN TODAY’S SESSION… the participants began their exploration of the words “to dwell together in peace” in the Blake covenant by discovering how the concepts of civil disobedience…
The Power of Peace: Thoreau, Gandhi, and King
From Love Connects Us

In the middle of the nineteenth century, a frenzy of support for the Mexican-American War swept across the United States. But a small minority were unhappy. They saw the war as an act of violent aggression against a weak, neighboring country. Who were the people in this minority?…
Handout 1: Peace Vigil Permission Form
From Love Connects Us

Parental Consent and Emergency Medical Release Form Date(s) of event: Location or destination: Start time/place: End time/place: Organization sponsoring the event: Adult chaperones for the event: [name(s) and contact information] I give consent for my child: to participate in the above mentioned…
Leader Resource 1: Prophets of Nonviolence - Quotations from Thoreau, Gandhi, and King
From Love Connects Us

Henry David Thoreau I think that we should be… [people] first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. — Civil Disobedience [1849] A wise… [person] will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through…
Find Out More
From Love Connects Us

Henry David Thoreau Discover more about the Unitarian and Transcendentalist best known for his experiment in simple living at Walden Pond. Read his writings about civil disobedience and his arguments for ending slavery at The Thoreau Reader, a Thoreau Society project that posts annotated works of…

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The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Session 8: The Power of Peace

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