Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Taking It Home: Christianity 1

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. — John 3:16 (KJV)

DURING TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we started our exploration of Christianity by talking about Jesus: his life and words. We acted out parables and read the Beatitudes. We discussed the Holy Spirit, Pentecost and the spread of early Christianity.

REFLECTION QUESTION

The word "catholic" means universal. What, in your opinion, is universal about Catholicism or Christianity?

EXPLORE THE TOPICS FURTHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS...

Christian UUs

Talk with Christian members of your congregation about being a Christian UU: What is hard? What is easy? What do they love about it?

Jesus and Parables

  • Two famous musicals are based on the life and words of Jesus: Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. Rent the movies or, if you can, attend a live performance.
  • Search "parables of Jesus" on YouTube to find many clips of parables, including an animated series by Nest Learning. This one is based on the House Upon the Rock.

Catholicism

  • Check out Life Teen, a website for Catholic youth, which has movie reviews and advice on topics (like what to do if you did not keep your promise during Lent) and answers to questions on church doctrine. It even has a video game: Vatican Ninja vs. Pirates.
  • A 2009 National Public Radio story, The Lives of Modern American Nuns, gives a glimpse into the role of nuns today. On the website, A Nun’s Life, explore for personal statements, news, and information about nuns’ daily lives.
  • Many UUs like to talk about famous UUs. Being such a large faith, there are many famous Catholics. Here is one list of the famous.
  • Have you read the books or seen the movies in The Chronicles of Narnia? The author, C.S. Lewis was an influential Catholic. His official website includes a biography. Can you identify the Catholic imagery in The Chronicles? Some is explained in the article, "The Wardrobe as Christian Metaphor," by Don W. King.