Tapestry of Faith: Moral Tales: A Program on Making Choices for Grades 2-3

Leader Resource 3: Alternate Closings

Part of Moral Tales

Young children appreciate ritual. Using the same Closing for each session helps to gives a clear end to your time together, each time, and reinforces each child's sense of belonging in Moral Tales as well as their Unitarian Universalist identity.

Hymn 414 in Singing the Living Tradition, "As We Leave This Friendly Place," is the suggested closing song for each session of Moral Tales. However, you may prefer to use a Closing that is the usual one in your congregation's religious education program; another reading or song, such as those offered below; or a completely different closing ritual that you design for this group.

If you want to use a hymn or song you do not know well, consider asking the music director of your congregation to teach it to you or record it for you to play to accompany the group. If you are uncomfortable teaching or leading a song, invite a musical volunteer from your congregation to join the group for the Closing and teach/lead the song for you, at least for the first few sessions of Moral Tales.

Alternate Closings

1. Pass the peace. Have children stand in a circle holding hands. Pass a gentle squeeze to the person on your right. As each person receives the squeeze, they pass it along until it travels around the circle back to you. You may want to end passing the peace with a short phrase such as "Go in peace" or "Peace and love to you."

2. Have children sing "Go Now in Peace," Hymn 413 in Singing the Living Tradition:

Go now in peace.

Go now in peace.

May the love of God surround you,

Everywhere, everywhere you may go.

3. Have the children sing "This Little Light of Mine," Hymn 118 in Singing the Living Tradition:

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

For a second verse, replace "This little light of mine... " with:

Everywhere I go...

For a third verse, replace "This little light of mine... " with:

Building up a world...