MORAL TALES
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children
SESSION 3: FAITH, HOPE AND PRAYER
BY ALICE ANACHECKA-NASEMAN AND ELISA PEARMAIN
© Copyright 2010 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 11/8/2014 4:55:15 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
SESSION OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Who cared if there was really any Being to pray to? What mattered was the sense of giving thanks and praise, the feeling of a humble and grateful heart. — Oliver Sacks
This session introduces faith, hope and prayer as tools that can help us discern the path of goodness and justice. Participants will hear a story in which a shah decides to test a poor Jewish man's faith and creates challenges for him to face. Through prayer, the Jew expresses his trust in God and finds answers to each dilemma created by the shah. Ultimately, the poor man teaches the shah the value of a faithful life.
Participants will learn about prayer as a spiritual practice that is shared by people of all major world religions. They will create prayer bead necklaces with each bead representing a different type of prayer: gratitude, petition (asking for something), confession (admitting shortcomings and seeking forgiveness), and intercession (prayer on someone else's behalf). Connected with the necklace-making is an activity that guides participants to give voice their own prayers.
As the quote from Oliver Sacks (A Leg to Stand On ( New York : Summit Books, 1984) suggests, to whom or to what one prays matters less than the content or the context of one's prayer experience. Prayer is an expression of faith, but the specific theology that may be part of any one person's faith are not part of this session.
It is important to state that although prayer is often associated with theism, the activities and discussions in this session do not assume any particular beliefs in God, Goddess, or gods and goddesses. In this session, prayer is understood simply as the two-fold action of naming what is in your heart and engaging in deep listening. This session is based on an assumption that whether or not one believes in God, there is value in bringing attention to one's heart and naming what it holds, including questions, and then listening for answers.
Finally, participants will consider prayer as a tool in discernment. When we face moral dilemmas, the path that leads to justice and goodness is not always clear. At these times it can be helpful to engage in the deep listening that is part of prayer: listening for the wisdom of the universe, listening to one's own inner light or conscience, or listening for God/dess.
It is especially important for the leaders of this session to model respect for a variety of practices and beliefs. This group of Unitarian Universalist children may include some who have never been introduced to the idea or practice of prayer. The group may include some whose parents participate in another faith tradition outside your Unitarian Universalist congregation or bring a specific, personal theology to their worship and community experiences. This session aims to make prayer accessible to all participants, in the context of wide theological diversity.
GOALS
This session will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 2 |
Activity 1: Gems of Goodness | 5 |
Activity 2: Story Basket and Centering | 5 |
Activity 3: Story — The Sword of Wood | 10 |
Activity 4: Discussion of Prayer and Faith in the story | 5 |
Activity 5: All My Friends and Neighbors | 10 |
Activity 6 Prayer Bead Necklaces | 18 |
Activity 7: Clean-up | 2 |
Faith in Action: Enacting Prayer in the World — Short-term | 10 |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: Candles of Joys and Sorrows | 10 |
Alternate Activity 2: Story Hot Seat | 20 |
Alternate Activity 3: What is Faith? | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Thinking through your own feelings about and experiences of prayer will help you lead this session. You may wish to ponder the following questions:
After you have had a chance to think about your answers to the above questions, read through the description of the prayer bead exercise. Take some time to think about what your own prayer beads might represent. What is in your heart? What do you yearn for? What is your deepest wish for the Earth? What are you sorry for? What makes your heart sing with gratitude?
Once you have experienced your own thoughts and prayers, put them aside. Prepare to be with children whose experiences of prayer will range from frequent to infrequent, and whose thoughts and beliefs may vary tremendously. Your role as teacher is to meet the children where they are and introduce them respectfully to one of many spiritual tools.
SESSION PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
As children enter, greet them and direct them to the table with the gemstones.
Ask the children to choose one, two, or three gemstones to represent acts of goodness that they did or witnessed since the last time they came to Moral Tales.
If any children are participating for the first time in the Gems of Goodness project, invite them to choose a notebook, write their name on it, and decorate it as they wish. Tell them they may also pick three gemstones to bring into the circle.
OPENING (2 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
With children gathered in a circle, light the chalice.
Show the children where you have posted the opening words. Teach them by saying or singing each line slowly for the children to repeat, then inviting them to join you in saying or singing the line together. If your opening words are a song, you might say the words first, and then add the tune.
You may wish to use this adaptation of Reading 418, Singing the Living Tradition:
Come into the circle of love and friendship.
Come into the community of justice and goodness.
Come and you shall know peace and joy.
When the children seem ready to say or sing the opening words with you, recite or sing them together.
Extinguish the chalice.
Related content:
ACTIVITY 1: GEMS OF GOODNESS (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the children around the table where you have placed the cloth, the jar or vase, and the gemstones. Ask who remembered to keep track of acts of goodness in their notebooks.
Invite volunteers to stand up, and tell the group about an act of goodness they engaged in (or witnessed, if you have offered this option), and place the gem in the glass jar or vase.
Indicate the Moral Compass poster. Mention the virtues that the group has explored in previous sessions. Suggest that the children try to think of some acts of goodness related to these virtues, as they share their gems of goodness.
Encourage newcomers to join the sharing once they've had a chance to see what the other children are doing.
Use these guidelines to organize the sharing:
It is very important to avoid judging participants, either with criticism or praise. Avoid phrases like, "Great job!" or "You're fantastic!" which might encourage the children to compete to share the "best" act of goodness or to perceive that different acts of goodness have greater or lesser value.
Instead, listen carefully to what the children tell you. Help them identify the virtues their acts of goodness represent. When appropriate, indicate a word or phrase on the Moral Compass poster that fits the act of goodness. This will help the children learn to recognize a variety of virtues in a variety of forms.
After each sharing, you may say something like, "Thank you for sharing," followed by a summarizing sentence such as:
Your specific responses to the acts of goodness children share will help them feel pride, a sense of accomplishment, and their own empowerment as agents of justice and goodness.
If children are not volunteering, call out various types of acts of goodness, and invite children to come up if they experienced that particular kind of goodness. You may call out:
When the sharing is finished, remind the children to take home their notebooks and continue to keep track of their acts of goodness.
If you are planning to do so, remind the children that they may mark their achievement with a special celebration when the group has filled the glass jar or otherwise reached an established goal. If the group is approaching the goal, you may wish to brainstorm with them about the celebration. Suggestions might include having a special treat for a snack, or ending early to do physical games outside.
Whatever way you choose to mark the jar being filled, once it has been filled you may empty it and start over again.
Including All Participants
If any participants are not mobile, you or another child can accommodate by passing the jar. If a child is not verbal, you may wish to invite a participant to choose another child, or a co-leader, to read his/her acts of goodness from his/her notebook and place a gemstone in the jar.
ACTIVITY 2: STORY BASKET AND CENTERING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the children in a circle in your storytelling area. Show them the storytelling basket. Say something like, "Let's see what's in our story Basket this week."
If you are using an altar as a focal point, take the cloth cover from the storytelling basket and drape it over the box or small table. If the cloth cover has a special story, such as who made it, where it comes from, or the meaning of any symbols on it, briefly share the story with the children. Tell the group that the items in the story Basket will be placed on this altar or table after the children have passed them around the circle.
Take the story-related items from the basket, one at a time, and pass them around. Briefly name the various objects. Children may ask questions about some of the items, begin to tell stories about similar things they have seen, or wonder aloud why an object is included. Tell them the group can talk more about the items after the story. Make sure you invite them to do so once you have finished the story and follow-up discussion.
If you have a globe or a world map, indicate Afghanistan and tell the children that this is the country where the story takes place. You may also tell them that the story is a Jewish folk tale.
As items come back to you, place them on the altar. Objects that are fragile, or which should not be passed around for any reason, can be held up for all to see and then placed directly on the altar. Display the items for children to look at as they listen to the story.
Now remove the chime, rain stick or other instrument from the story Basket. Tell the children that every time you tell a story in Moral Tales, you will first use the instrument to help them get their ears, their minds, and their bodies ready to listen.
Invite them to sit comfortably and close their eyes (if they are comfortable doing so). You may tell them that closing their eyes can help them focus just on listening.
In a calm voice, say, in your own words:
As you breathe in, feel your body opening up with air. As you breathe out, feel yourself relaxing.
Repeat this once or twice and then say:
Now you are ready to listen. When I hit the chime (turn the rain stick over), listen as carefully as you can. See how long you can hear its sound. When you can no longer hear it, open your eyes and you will know it is time for the story to begin.
Sound the chime or other instrument. When the sound has gone, begin telling the story.
Including All Participants
If anyone in the group is unable to hold or pass items, or cannot see the items, make sure you or a child in the group offers the person a chance to see and touch each object, as needed.
Some people do not feel safe closing their eyes when they are in a group. If any children resist, respect their resistance and suggest that they find a single point of focus to look at instead.
If you have a basket of fidget objects for children who will listen and learn more effectively with something in their hands, make the fidget object basket available during this activity. For a full description of fidget objects and guidance on using them, see Leader Resources.
ACTIVITY 3: STORY — THE SWORD OF WOOD (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Before you begin, look around the room and make eye contact with each person. Read or tell the story.
Ring the chime (or use other sound instrument) to indicate that the story is over.
Including All Participants
There are children for whom it is very difficult to sit still, even when they are paying attention to what is happening around them. This can be frustrating for teachers, as well as for the children who are expected to maintain stillness for prolonged periods of time. If you have children in the group for whom this is the case, consider adopting the use of "fidget objects" as described in Leader Resources. These fidget objects can provide a non-disruptive outlet for the need to move.
ACTIVITY 4: DISCUSSION OF PRAYER AND FAITH IN THE STORY (5 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Pose these questions and allow children to explore:
A second adult volunteer or co-leader can offer possible answers to the questions if the children find them difficult. A second adult can also join the discussion to ensure that both theistic and atheistic interpretations of what happened in the story are represented and respected. If children's answers reflect only one perspective, an adult leader can say something like, "Some people believe that and some people believe ... " or "That's what the man believed in the story, but some people might think ... "
Including All Participants
This session requires a fair bit of sitting in a circle or at the table. For children who learn better when moving, consider bringing out a basket of "fidget objects." For more information, see Leader Resources.
ACTIVITY 5: ALL MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity builds community while generating ideas and interest to bring to the next activity, Activity 6: Prayer Bead Necklaces. As an active game that involves movement, it is placed strategically in the session to provide a break from sedentary activities.
Invite the children to bring chairs into a circle. Remove one chair so there is one fewer than there are participants. Model the game by standing in the middle of the circle (with one child by your side). Tell the group:
(Name of the child standing by you) and I are going to look for some of our friends and neighbors. I will say which ones we are looking for. If what I say includes you, stand up and change to a different seat. Meanwhile, (name the child by your side) will rush to a seat that becomes free. That will leave a new person in the middle to look for their friends and relations.
Use the list of phrases that begin "I am looking for all of my friends and neighbors who ___" in Leader Resource, All My Friends and Neighbors. The categories mirror the types of prayer the children will learn about in Activity 6: gratitude, being sorry, wishes for self, and loving wishes for the world, others, and other living beings. Use a few "... are grateful for... " phrases first. Then move through the other categories, rather than skipping around. This will prepare the children to identify these four types of prayer.
Before you begin, offer these rules:
Now say:
I am looking for all of my friends and relations who...
... are grateful for being together in Moral Tales today.
Encourage the child standing with you to find a seat as other children get up. Bring the child who is left without a seat into the middle of the circle. Help him/her think of a phase to add to "I am looking for all my friends and relations who are grateful for... ," using the Leader Resource as needed.
Try to move through all the categories of gratitude, being sorry, wishing for oneself, and loving wishes on behalf of others.
Including All Participants
If someone is in a wheelchair, that person can wheel the chair in front of another chair, thus claiming it as occupied. As is the case for all participants, if there is no chair available, the person stays in the center and names the category. A danger with this game is that children will run and even sometimes push others out of the way to occupy a chair. If someone moves more slowly or is in a wheelchair, they may not be able to get to a free chair as quickly as others. The group might be able to agree on rules to accommodate this situation.
ACTIVITY 6: PRAYER BEAD NECKLACES (15-20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group in the storytelling area, in a circle. Tell the children that prayer is a part of all of the major religions in the world. Ask if any of the children pray at home or have ever seen anyone praying. After a brief response time for the question, you may say:
People can pray in lots of different ways. Someone sitting quietly alone with their eyes closed might be praying. Some people pray by thinking thoughts in their head. Other people pray by saying words or singing a song together with other people. Some people don't pray at all.
In some religions, like Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, some people use a necklace or a bracelet of beads to pray.
If you have examples of prayer beads from another religion, show them to the group and identify each one. Then show them the prayer bead necklace you made in advance.
Say:
Today we are going to make our own Unitarian Universalist prayer bead necklaces.
Give everyone a necklace cord. Co-leaders and adult volunteers should participate in this exercise as part of creating a community of lifelong learners, as well as to help model possible prayers.
Pass around a bowl with one type or color of large beads in it. Ask each participant to take one bead and roll it around in his or her hands. When everyone has a bead, invite everyone to close their eyes. Say:
This will be your gratitude bead. One way that people pray is they say "thank you" for things that they are grateful for. Right now, while you are holding your bead, think about what you are grateful for.
Pause for a few moments and then invite everyone to open their eyes and briefly share what they are grateful for. A co-leader or adult volunteer can get the sharing started.
When all who wish to have shared their prayers, have the children put the bead on their cord. Help children knot their cord around the first bead, leaving a tail of cord to secure the necklace with later.
Pass around a second bowl with a second type or color of beads. Ask each participant to choose a bead and roll it around in his or her hands. When everyone has a bead, say:
This is an "I'm sorry" bead. Sometimes when people feel really sorry about something they've done, they pray about it. Close your eyes while you hold your bead. Do you have something you've done that you are sorry for?
Pause for a few moments. Then invite everyone to open their eyes and briefly share the things they are sorry about. When all who wish to have shared their prayers, have the participants put the second bead on their cord.
Repeat the process with a third bowl containing a third type or color of beads. This time, say:
This is a wishing bead. Sometimes when people pray they say things that they really hope for. Close your eyes, and hold your wishing bead. Is there something you really wish?
Pause for a few moments and then invite everyone to open their eyes and briefly name their wishes.
Have the children put the third bead on their cord and then pass along the final bowl of beads. While their eyes are closed, say something like:
This is a loving wishes bead. Sometimes when people pray they think about all the things they wish for the world, or they think about someone they love and make a wish for that person. Do you have anything you wish for the planet Earth, for any animals, for other people, or for anyone you love?
Pause for a few moments and then invite everyone to open their eyes and briefly name their loving wishes.
Now invite and help the children to secure the ends of their cords to make a necklace.
As they work, you may like to challenge the children to think of things they, themselves, can do to help their wishes happen. Use examples from your own prayer statements, rather than theirs. For example, you might say, "I do feel sorry I did not buy the snack my daughter wanted for lunch last week. Next week, I will try to buy the snack she asked for." Or, "I was wishing for my friend who is sick to get better. If I send her a get well card, at least maybe she will feel a little better." Or, "I was wishing for the playground down the street to have no litter. On my way home today I am going to stop and pick up some of the trash there and throw it away."
You may continue this discussion during Activity 7: Clean-up. The short-term Faith in Action activity (Enacting Prayer in the World), which fits nicely before this session's Closing, engages children in pursuing ways to help realize the prayers they may have for others.
Including All Participants
This exercise expects a certain solemnity and stillness that may be difficult for more active learners. The beads themselves serve as "fidget objects," building at least a small amount of movement into the activity. However, if you suspect this will be difficult for some children, consider adapting the exercise slightly to add more movement or to shorten the time it will take. To add more movement, lead the children in a quick stretch after stringing each bead. You may like to engage movement-oriented learners as helpers in passing out the beads or cords.
To decrease the time required, if the group is large, invite children to tell their prayers to a partner after thinking about what each bead represents.
You may opt to simply do the prayer bead necklaces as a project without ritualistically naming prayers. As children work, remind them of the gratitude, being sorry, wish, and sharing wishes phrases they used in their game during Activity 5: All My Friends and Neighbors.
ACTIVITY 7: CLEAN UP (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
In this activity the children are asked to return the meeting space to being as neat and clean as they found it and to put away the materials used in the session. Remind the children that other people may use the space, and should be able to find it clean and ready to use.
Engage the children in thinking about materials that can be recycled. Specifically identify and assign any clean-up task that will help the children understand and accept their own responsibility as users of the meeting space. Use the clean-up activity to help children think about how their actions affect others and gain good feelings from participating in a group effort.
If your congregation has a recycling system, ask a child or pair of children to take the recycled materials to the bins. If your congregation does not have a recycling system, this may be a good Moral Tales project to initiate! In the meantime you might want to suggest that a different child each week take home a bag of recyclables. First, ask parents if they wish to participate in this project.
Including All Participants
All children should assist as able.
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity helps the children get used to practicing a closing ritual as a way of affirming their part in the faith community.
Gather the group in a circle. Thank the children for participating and sharing their stories and ideas in this session. Tell them something you liked about the way they worked together as a community.
Point out the Moral Compass poster. Say, in your own words:
Our Moral Compass shows us ways to do good things and make good decisions. Today we heard a story about a man who used faith and prayer to solve problems. We're going to add "faith" as a direction on our Moral Compass.
Write or post the word "Faith" on the Moral Compass poster.
Remind the children that the next time they meet they will have a chance to add more gems to the Gems of Goodness jar. If appropriate, remind them that when the jar is full of gemstones, you will have a special celebration. You may wish to encourage them to try using faith and prayer as they look for ways to act for goodness or justice.
Lead the children in singing Hymn 414 in Singing the Living Tradition, "As We Leave This Friendly Place." If the hymn is unfamiliar to some of the children, teach it line by line and then sing it once through together.
The song's lyrics are:
As we leave this friendly place,
Love give light to every face;
May the kindness which we learn
Light our hearts till we return.
Distribute the Taking It Home handout you have prepared. If new participants need to take home a Gems of Goodness notebook and parent handout, make sure they have these.
Thank the children, tell them you look forward to seeing them next time, and dismiss the group.
Related content:
FAITH IN ACTION: SHORT-TERM — ENACTING PRAYER IN THE WORLD (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
If you have time, add this activity just before your Closing. Gather the children in your Closing circle. Place the bowl or tray filled with beads, stones or marbles in the center. Say, in your own words:
When you pray, the things you pray for don't always happen. No one really knows for sure about how prayer works or if prayer works to change things. But we can work to make our prayers happen, just like the man in the story used quick thinking to save himself when the shah ordered him to use his sword to kill the criminal.
A few minutes ago we named some loving wishes for the world. Now we're going to think about what we can do to help the Earth, the animals, other living beings, and the people we love.
When you have an idea of something you can do, come take one of these beads (or stones, or marbles), sit back down in the circle, and tell us your idea. For example, if your grandmother is sick and you are wishing for her to feel better, you can make her a card or bring her some soup. If you are wishing for the Earth to be clean and unpolluted, you can pick up litter and clean a park.
If your congregation is theistic, you can adapt the message to reflect the role of God, as appropriate. You might say, "We help God make our prayers come true when we do things to help other people, to help animals, or to help the Earth."
As with the prayer beads, adults should participate in this activity, modeling brief, appropriate answers.
When everyone who wishes to share has done so, say in your own words:
You can keep the bead (or stone, or marble). When you go home, it can remind you of your idea so you can do something to help make a prayer come true.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Take a few minutes to evaluate the session with your co-leader immediately afterward, while it is fresh. Share your thoughts with any other team teachers and your director of religious education.
You might find it helpful to consider these questions:
TAKING IT HOME
Who cared if there was really any Being to pray to? What mattered was the sense of giving thanks and praise, the feeling of a humble and grateful heart. — Oliver Sacks
IN TODAY'S SESSION...
The children heard the story, "A Sword of Wood," about a Jewish man whose faith is tested by a shah. The Jew holds fast to his faith and relies on prayer as he meets various challenges. We talked about prayer as an important practice in many world religions. For the purposes of this session, prayer was presented as a two-step practice: first, naming what is in your heart, and second, engaging in deep listening. We made Unitarian Universalist prayer bead necklaces with each bead representing a common type of prayer: praise (gratitude bead), confession ("I'm sorry" bead), petition (wish bead), and intercession (loving wishes on behalf of others bead). We encouraged the children to think about actions we can take that help make our gratitude be felt by others, our apologies be heard by others, our wishes and hopes to become real, and our loving (healing) wishes to be felt by others. Actions that help care for the Earth, caretaking of animals, and thoughtful expressions of caring toward other people were some examples.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. TALK ABOUT...
Ask your child to show you the prayer beads the children made in Moral Tales and to tell you what the beads represent. Share your own views or practices related to prayer with your child. Talk about what it means, to you, to have faith. Give some examples of your own experiences and thoughts related to faith.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. TRY...
Consider using the prayer bead necklace as part of your child's bedtime ritual. As energy winds down, bedtime can be an ideal time to think about one's day, as well as one's hopes. The prayer beads can become a tool for naming the important things in one's heart. Have your child hold each bead in turn and name something he or she is grateful for, sorry about, wishes for, and hopes for the world or for someone else. Encourage your child to take a moment to name the things that he/she has done during the day to make things he/she wishes for really happen and what he/she could do in the future.
A FAMILY RITUAL
If you do not already do so, develop a practice of eating dinner together as a family. Begin the meal with a grace, a brief song, a poem or a reading that expresses gratitude. Then have each person in the family name something for which he/she is grateful.
Find ideas to help you start a gratitude ritual in these books:
A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles edited by M.J. Ryan (Conari Press, 1994)
Earth Prayers From Around the World: 365 Prayers, Poems and Invocations for Honoring the Earth edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon (HarperSanFransisco, 1991)
FAMILY DISCOVERY
If your family is interested in experiencing spiritual practices together other than prayer there are many resources available for this purpose. There are many ways in which people can seek spiritual deepening, name what is in their hearts, and engage in deep listening.
Consider enrolling in a family yoga class. If classes are not an option, there are many good videos that introduce simple yoga poses, some specifically for children and a deck of cards with yoga poses, "Kids Yoga Deck" by Annie Buckley.
You may wish to combine an exploration of yoga with an investigation of Hinduism and the role that different forms of yoga play in the Hindu religious practice.
Look for books or tapes with guided meditations and experience a peaceful journey of imagination and relaxation. Guided meditations can be especially effective at bedtime and can be a useful tool for getting children ready to sleep. A good audio CD is Guided Meditations for Children: Journey Into the Elements by Chitra Sukhu (New Age Kids, Inc.: 2002)
You may be near a spiritual or Christian retreat center that has a labyrinth open to visitors. The labyrinth invites walking meditation, sometimes a more appealing form of spiritual practice for an active person.
Read about pagan practices honoring the cycles of nature. There are many great rituals that are child-friendly and help to nurture a relationship to the Earth. A recommended reading is Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions by Starhawk (Bantam: 2000).
Learn about Unitarian Universalist rituals. Adopt some in your household. Light a chalice, sing hymns from Singing the Living Tradition (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=565)or Evensong for Families (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2)by Barbara Hamilton-Holway (Skinner House, 2006).
In the online bookstore of the Unitarian Universalist Association, you will find a number of books about faith in a Unitarian Universalist context:
Rejoice Together (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630): (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630)Prayers, Meditations and Other Readings (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630) (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630) for Family, Individual, and Small-Group Worship (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630), second edition, paperback, collected by Helen R. Pickett (Boston: Skinner House, 2005)
Our Seven Principles in Story and Verse (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=633)by Kenneth W. Collier (Boston: Skinner House, 1997)
Simply Pray: A Modern Spiritual Practice to Deepen Your Life (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=622) by Erik Walker Wikstrom (Boston: Skinner House, 2005)
The Gift of Faith: Tending the Spiritual Lives of Children (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=10) by Jeanne Harrison Nieuwejaar (Boston: Skinner House, second edition, 2003)
Related content:
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: CANDLES OF JOYS AND SORROWS (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Determine if your room and building policies allow for open flames. If not, consider doing this activity with a felt board and felt candles or with beads in a jar.
Begin by lighting a "starter" candle. Invite the children to come forward one at a time and light a candle of joy and sorrow from the starter candle and push it into the sand. The child should then face the group and tell them what the candle is for. Translate the language so they understand that we are talking about things that have made them very happy or sad.
If the session has time for it, use this activity as part of the Opening. Candles of joy and sorrow offer the opportunity for children to experience what is a weekly ritual in many Unitarian Universalist congregations. This activity can deepen sense of community in the Moral Tales group. It gives participants a chance to name those things which they carry in their hearts, encourages listening to others, and, in many cases, makes a link with the adult worship experience.
IMPORTANT: Do not leave burning candles unattended. When all who wish to participate have done so, blow the candles out and put the matches away in a safe place.
Including All Participants
If a child is physically unable to light a candle and stand to address the group, ask the child to invite another child to light a candle for him/her or offer to do it yourself. Allow the child to speak joys and sorrows from where he/she is sitting.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: STORY HOT SEAT (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
In this activity the children have a chance to step into the shoes of the characters in "The Sword of Wood" after the story has happened. Settle children in the chairs you have placed in a semi-circle. Tell them:
The chair set apart is the "hot seat." The person in the hot seat will pretend to be one of the characters in the story. The rest of us can ask the person in the hot seat questions. The person in the hot seat answers as character.
Be the first one in the hot seat. You may wish to tell the children that you are going to leave the room and come back as one of the characters. Leave, come back, and introduce yourself. You may say:
Hello, children. I am the shah. Do you have any questions for me?
Tell the children they may raise their hands and ask the character questions about the story. Answer a question or two, then ask if someone else would like to take a turn in the hot seat. Let this child leave the room and come back as the same or a new character. After a short while, suggest that another child take the hot seat. If the children are all eager to be in the hot seat, then limit one or two questions per turn in the hot seat.
As needed, guide the activity by sharing with the group these rules:
The goal of this activity is to help the children develop a deeper understanding of the story, to explore the feelings and the perspectives of the characters in more depth, and to have a personal experience of empathy.
In the story of "The Sword of Wood," possible characters to enact in the story include Shah Abbis, the poor Jew, and the convicted criminal. If the children are having difficulty generating questions, model asking questions such as:
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 3: WHAT IS FAITH? (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather children in the storytelling area. Indicate the word "Faith" posted on newsprint.
Say, in your own words:
The shah invited the Jewish man to come live in the palace because he showed unwavering faith. Unwavering means it didn't change — he always stayed faithful.
What ideas do you have about what the word "faith" means?
Write answers in simple words or phrases on the newsprint. Allow a few moments for the children to offer answers. Children this age may not have enough prior experience with the word to have ideas about what "faith" means; they will develop understanding during this session. End the brainstorming before children become frustrated or bored. If children's contributions have not produced a working definition of faith, you may offer:
Faith means you believe in something, even if you can't prove it.
Invite the children to stand up and form a line, shoulder to shoulder, facing you. Designate one end of the line as "agree" and the other end as "disagree." Say, in your own words:
We're going to play a quick game about faith. I'm going to make a statement and we're all going to show whether we agree with it or not by where we stand in the line.
Point out the "agree" and 'disagree" ends of the line. Tell the group:
If you really, really agree you can stand all the way at the end, or if you really, really disagree you can go to the other end. You can also stand in the middle or anywhere on the line to show how much you agree or disagree. There is no right or wrong answer, and we will probably each feel differently about every statement. This is just to show what you believe and what you have faith in.
Read the statements on Leader Resource, Faith Statements, giving children time to find a place in the agree/disagree line after each one. After the participants have placed themselves on the line, you can note patterns such as total agreement, widely shared belief, or a situation where few children are sure and most want to stand in the middle. At times, you may ask volunteers to briefly explain why they chose a particular location.
Including All Participants
Allow enough physical space and enough time between statements for any children with limited mobility to fully participate; make sure all children can find a place in the agree/disagree line without feeling rushed.
Some children may become upset if others "disagree" with statements they firmly believe are true. Embrace the teachable moment and remind children that something can be "true for you," even if someone else does not believe it. Becoming aware that they believe strongly in one of the statements made in this activity, and that others do not, can help children learn what "faith" means.
MORAL TALES: SESSION 3:
STORY 1: THE SWORD OF WOOD
A Jewish tale from Afghanistan.
Once, on a summer night in the country Afghanistan, the ruler Shah Abbis changed out of his fancy robes and left his palace dressed as a peasant to enjoy the evening air and to wander through the streets unnoticed. He walked and walked until he reached the poorest section at the edge of the town. He soon heard joyful singing coming from a dimly lit cottage. As he peered in the window he saw a man sitting at a table. He was eating and singing and giving thanks to God. The shah was astonished to see such a poor man in such good spirits and so he asked if he might come in as a guest.
After accepting food and drink the shah asked the man how he earned his living. "I am a poor Jew," he said. "I wander the streets and fix shoes, and in this way I earn enough money to buy all the food I need for one day."
"But what will happen to you when you are too old to work?" asked the shah.
"Oh, I do not have to worry about that," the man said happily. "God blesses me day by day, and I know that somehow there will always be enough."
The shah returned to his palace and took off his peasant disguise. He was determined to test the faith of this man. The next day he proclaimed: "No one is allowed to fix shoes for pay!"
When the Jew went to work, he was astonished to learn of the new law. "What is he going to do if he can't fix shoes and earn money?" (Take a few brief suggestions.)
Here's what he did. He lifted his eyes to heaven (Leader — Raise your arms in the air and look up) and he prayed, "God, the Shah has made it against the law for me to fix shoes. But I know you will help me to find a new job." He looked around and saw some people carrying water. He decided that he too would become a water carrier.
The Jew carried water to and from the town well and sold it to people, for the rest of the day. And in that way he earned just enough money to buy food ... for one day. (Leader — You may wish to start the children at this point repeating the refrain, "to buy food for one day," each time you say, "he earned just enough money ... ")
The shah again disguised himself and returned to the man's house. He was very surprised to find the man again singing joyfully and eating. "How are you?" he asked upon entering. "I heard of the law and had to see how you had survived the day."
"God did not abandon me today," the Jew answered happily. "The shah closed one door, but God opened another to take its place. I am now a water carrier."
The shah took his leave again. (Leader — "And what do you think he did?" After brief answers, continue the story.) He issued another proclamation: no one was to carry water for pay. Again the Jew wondered how he could earn money if it was against the law to carry water. But again he prayed and this time he saw that men were going into the forest to cut trees to sell for firewood. So he decided to cut trees and sell firewood also, and that's just what he did. And in that way he earned just enough money... " (Leader — Prompt the children to finish your sentence.) "... to buy food for one day."
Again the shah came in disguise and learned of the man's continued faith and good fortune. The next day, he issued a command that his soldiers stop all the woodcutters coming from the forests and bring them to the palace to work. He dressed them all as guards and gave them swords. He told them that they would not be paid until the end of the month.
(Leader — "What will happen if the Jew is not paid until the end of the month? What do you suppose he should do?" After some answers, continue the story.)
The Jew was perplexed indeed, for he had no money for dinner that evening, and it would certainly be difficult to wait a whole month for his pay. But he trusted God. So he prayed and he prayed for an answer to his problem. How would he be able to buy food tomorrow, if he wouldn't be paid for a full month?
On the way home from the palace, while examining his sword and sheath, the Jew had a clever idea. He would make a sword out of wood, the same size as the shah's metal sword that would look just like it. Then he could sell the shah's sword. So he made a wooden sword and sold the real one and he had just enough money for food for a month!
The shah, in his peasant disguise again, was much surprised to find the Jew singing and eating that night. When he heard the Jew's story about the sword, he asked him, "What will you do if the shah finds out what you have done?"
"Oh, I do not worry about such things," the Jew replied. "Every day my life is filled with blessings from God. I know that somehow everything will come out all right."
The next day the shah ordered all the guards to report to the center of the city where there was to be an execution of a man who had stolen from the royal palace. All the guards came, including the ones who used to be woodcutters, and including the Jew. All the townspeople came to see.
The shah ordered his officer to call the Jew to come forth to cut off the man's head. "Do not ask this of me," the Jew cried. "I have never even killed a fly." The officer said that it was the order of the shah and he must obey or risk his own life.
The Jew asked for a few minutes to pray to God. Then he stood up (Leader — Stand up and speak dramatically) in front of all of the townspeople and said out loud, "God, you know that I have never killed anyone in my whole life. Please, God, if this man is guilty, let my sword be so sharp as to kill him in a single blow. But if he is not guilty, let my sword turn to wood, as a sign of his innocence." (Leader — Look at the children and ask them to predict what will happen. When they clearly understand what is going to happen with the sword and why, resume telling the story.)
With all eyes on him, the Jew reached for his sword. (Leader — Acts this out) He pulled it out of its sheath, and held it high. The crowd gasped, then clapped and cheered when they saw the wooden sword, for they thought a miracle had taken place.
The shah was delighted when he saw the wisdom of the Jew. He called him near. He told him that he had been the visitor those four preceding nights. "And now," he said, "I hope that you will come and stay with me in my palace and be my advisor, for I see that you are a man of wisdom and unwavering faith, and I have much to learn from you."
So the Jew went to live in the palace with the shah. If you went by there in the evenings, you would hear them singing.
MORAL TALES: SESSION 3:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: ALL MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
I am looking for all of my friends and neighbors who...
Gratitude
... are grateful for our parents.
... are grateful for our school.
... are grateful for the color red.
... are grateful for soccer games.
... are grateful for pizza.
... are grateful for chocolate.
... are grateful for summer.
Being Sorry
... are sorry for fighting with brothers or sisters.
... are sorry for telling a lie.
... are sorry for forgetting to brush our teeth.
... are sorry for forgetting about our homework.
... are sorry for taking something that wasn't ours.
... are sorry for breaking something that belonged to someone else.
Wishing for Oneself
... wish for new clothes.
... wish for candy.
... wish for a baby sister or brother.
... wish for a dog.
... wish for (a popular toy).
Loving Wishes on Behalf of Others
... wish for somebody who is sick to get better.
... wish for no war.
... wish for a friend to get a pet.
... wish for no litter and a clean Earth.
... wish for homes for every stray animal.
... wish for food children who don't have enough food.
MORAL TALES: SESSION 3:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: FAITH STATEMENTS
I have faith that there is life somewhere else, on another planet besides
Earth.
I have faith that rules are for a good reason.
I have faith that my friends will share with me.
I have faith that there is a God.
I have faith that the sun will give Earth light for billions of years.
I have faith that good things will happen tomorrow.
I have faith that my teachers at school will take care of me.
I have faith that someday everyone in the world will have enough food.
I have faith that someday there will be peace in the world.
I have faith in myself to do good things.
I have faith that people in our congregation will help me if I need help.
I have faith in myself to stand up to a bully.
I have faith that someday people and animals will be able to talk to each
other.
I have faith in scientists who say that the Earth started with a big bang.
I have faith that people who die go to heaven.
I have faith that people who die get born again as a new creature.
I have faith that God is listening if I pray.
FIND OUT MORE
In the online bookstore of the Unitarian Universalist Association, you will find a number of books about faith in a Unitarian Universalist context:
Rejoice Together (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630): (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630) Prayers, Meditations and Other Readings (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630) (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630) for Family, Individual, and Small-Group Worship (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=630), second edition, paperback, collected by Helen R. Pickett (Boston: Skinner House, 2005)
Our Seven Principles in Story and Verse (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=633)by Kenneth W. Collier (Boston: Skinner House, 1997)
Simply Pray: A Modern Spiritual Practice to Deepen Your Life (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=622) by Erik Walker Wikstrom (Boston: Skinner House, 2005)
The Gift of Faith: Tending the Spiritual Lives of Children (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=10) by Jeanne Harrison Nieuwejaar (Boston: Skinner House, second edition, 2003)
Singing the Living Tradition (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=565) by the Unitarian Universalist Association (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993).
Prayer Beads
A String and a Prayer by Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon (Red Wheel/Weiser, 2002) talks about the use of prayer beads in different faith traditions.
Fidget Objects
The idea of having a basket of "fidget objects" available during session activities comes from Sally Patton, author, workshop leader and advocate for children with special needs. It is a simple, inexpensive way to include and welcome children who find it difficult to sit still or who learn better while moving.
Provide a basket for fidget objects. Fill it with pipe cleaners, koosh balls, and other soft, quiet, manipulable objects.
When you introduce the fidget object basket to the group, begin by saying that some people learn best when their hands are busy. Give an example such as someone who knits while listening to a radio program or doodles during a meeting or class. Point out the fidget object basket. Tell the children they may quietly help themselves to items they may wish to use to keep their hands busy if this helps them to listen. However, also tell the children that the fidget object basket will be put away if the items become a distraction from the story or any other group activity.
You can make the basket available for the duration of the session, or bring the basket out only during activities, such as hearing a story told, that require children to sit still and listen for a significant period of time.
Related content: