Session 12: John Murray

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Creating Home, Kindergarten-1st Grade

In This Section

Introduction
From Creating Home

What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest? — Aeschylus Hospitality is the session’s focus, with 19th-century Universalist minister John Murray the topic of the central story. Murray ‘s life might have been quite different, had he not been welcomed by Thomas Potter….
Session-at-a-Glance
From Creating Home

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: “Come, Come, Whoever You Are” 5 Activity 2: Story — John Murray and the Winds of Change 10 Activity 3: Ways to Welcome 10 Activity 4: Hospitality Hat 10 Activity 5: Making Windsocks 15 Faith In Action: Postcards for Visiting Families — Short-term 25 Faith…
Spiritual Preparation
From Creating Home

The words “radical hospitality” are sometimes heard in our congregations. What does radical hospitality mean to you? Every major religion and life philosophy asks its followers to be hospitable to the stranger. Some people use hospitality as a spiritual practice….
Opening
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Labyrinth Basket of name stones Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Write the chalice-lighting words on newsprint, and post. Memorize the…
Activity 1: Singing "Come, Come Whoever You Are"
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity One copy of the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Singing the Living Tradition Preparation for Activity Review Hymn 188 in Singing the Living Tradition, “Come, Come Whoever You Are,” a very short hymn that is easy to sing a cappella and can be sung a…
Activity 2: Story - John Murray And The Winds Of Change
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of story, “John Murray and the Winds of Change” Optional: “John Murray and the Winds of Change” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Download, and print out story, “John Murray and the Winds of Change.” Review the story and…
Activity 3: Ways to Welcome
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Preparation for Activity Identify the committee that takes responsibility for your congregation’s hospitality to visitors who come to a worship service. Invite a member to come talk with the group for five to ten minutes about the congregation’s practice of hospitality….
Activity 4: Hospitality Hat
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A hat for children to share A piece of blank paper, a marker, and tape or a safety pin Optional: Scissors Preparation for Activity When you choose the hat that will be associated with hospitable behavior in this activity, be conscious of stereotypes.
Activity 5: Making Windsocks
From Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Cardboard cylinders or empty containers for all participants Construction paper, crayons or markers, glue or tape, strong string, and crepe paper ribbon Preparation for Activity Begin a few weeks ahead of the session collecting empty, cylindrical…
Closing
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Labyrinth, with participants’ name stones placed on it Basket for name stones Optional: Index cards or post-its, bold marker, and tape Preparation for Activity Review…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Creating Home

Teaching young children about hospitality is not easy. It asks them to put the needs of others before their own. Were there moments when you think this message was conveyed more strongly than others? How successful was the role-playing? If it went well, you could use it as a tool for future…
Faith In Action: Postcards for Visiting Families - Short-term
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Blank postcards, at least one for each participant Markers or crayons Preparation for Activity If you like, arrange to include your guest from Activity 3: Ways to Welcome as a co-leader of this activity….
Faith In Action: Hospitality At A Unitarian Universalist Camp - Short-Term
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Preparation for Activity Optional: Invite a visitor from your congregation to tell the group about a gathering they attended at a Unitarian Universalist camp or conference center. Optional: Obtain flyers, brochures, and/or photographs that represent the activities at a…
Alternate Activity 1: Hand In Hand
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Large roll of paper, such as butcher paper or brown mailing wrap Scissors and masking tape Washable paint in different colors Pie tins, one to hold each different color of paint Preparation for Activity Identify a place in your meeting space where …
Alternate Activity 2: Many Ways To Say "Hello"
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Preparation for Activity Find out the correct ways to pronounce the non-English greetings that are not already familiar to you. If you like, learn some more. Description of Activity By learning how to say “hello” in a few different languages, children acquire a way to be…
Taking It Home: John Murray
From Creating Home

What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest? – Aeschylus IN TODAY’S SESSION… Today’s session focused on the story of John Murray, Universalist minister. A story about John Murray’s arrival in the United States from England was used to start a discussion on…
John Murray and the Winds of Change
From Creating Home

You never know what the wind will blow in or which way the wind blows. The wind can change directions and maybe change your life. It happened to John Murray. As a young man, John Murray had excellent fortune blow his way. He had a fine education, a steady job, a loving wife, and a young son. Life…
Find Out More
From Creating Home

Online at UUA.org and available from the UUA Bookstore, find the UUA pamphlet, Religious Hospitality by Peter Morales. Also online, learn about Unitarian Universalist camps and conference centers. The practice of hospitality in a Christian monastic context is the subject of Radical Hospitality:…