Activity 3: The Web in the Bread (10 minutes)
Materials for Activity
- A loaf of unsliced whole grain bread
- A plate for the bread
- One or two bottles of hand sanitizer
- Small napkins for all participants
- Bell
Preparation for Activity
- Purchase a loaf of whole grain bread that is free of eggs, milk, nuts, and other common allergens. If you know of particular food allergies that your participants have, you may wish to purchase a second loaf of bread. Wheat-free, gluten-free bread is available at many natural foods stores.
Description of Activity
Place the loaf of bread on the table or hold it up for participants to see.Invite participants to consider all the elements of the interdependent web of existence involved in creating this loaf of bread and bringing it here. Ask participants to call out the things they think of. If ideas flow slowly, encourage participants to think about things as diverse as ingredients, transportation, economies, markets, workers, the local store, money, celestial bodies, the founding of the congregation, and the production of this curriculum.
When the group has brainstormed to the point of awe or overwhelm, pass around the hand sanitizer and say:
We give thanks for the web of life, more complex than we understand, and for each strand of the web. We depend upon much more than we know.
Raise up the bread and invite the group to tear off small pieces for themselves and share the bread in silence, in a mindful offering of thanks and praise for the interconnected web.
Pass the bread and napkins in the same direction as the hand sanitizer.
After the bread has been passed and eaten, ring the bell to conclude the period of mindful silence.
Including All Participants
Be aware of food sensitivities and allergies among your participants when choosing a loaf of bread. Providing a bread that is free of all animal products such as eggs, milk, and honey also makes the activity accessible to participants who are vegan or strict vegetarian.Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
