Session 5: The Blessing Of Imperfection

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

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Part of Windows and Mirrors, Grades 4-5

In This Section

Introduction
From Windows and Mirrors

If you look closely at a tree you’ll notice its knots and dead branches, just like our bodies. What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully. — Matthew Fox, theologian Humans are imperfect. We are each uniquely made and live our lives uniquely. Yet we often compare…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Nobody’s Perfect 5 Activity 2: Story — The Water Bearer’s Garden 10 Activity 3: Oops… Wow! 15 Activity 4: Window/Mirror Panel — Perfectly Me 10 Activity 5: Wabi-Sabi, the Beauty of Imperfection 10 Faith in Action: Smile Train Fundraiser Closing 5…
Spiritual Preparation
From Windows and Mirrors

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Make yourself comfortable; light a candle to mark the time as different from your other activities. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for about five minutes; perhaps repeat a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day.
Opening
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice or LED/battery-operated candle Large, round mirror to hold the chalice Reflective materials, such as beads or pieces of stained glass Newsprint, markers and tape Opening Words Basket and opening words (see Session 1, Leader Resource 1)…
Activity 1: Nobody's Perfect
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Post blank newsprint. Draw a line down the middle to make two columns. Description of Activity Gather the group and tell them: We are going to talk today about perfection….
Activity 2: Story - The Water Bearer's Garden
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Water Bearer’s Garden” A bell, chime, rain stick or other musical noisemaker Preparation for Activity Read the story “The Water Bearer’s Garden” a few times. Consider telling it dramatically, rather than reading it from the…
Activity 3: Oops!... Wow!
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Silly putty (TM) Chocolate chip cookies Velcro Sticky notes A Slinky (TM) A bar of Ivory soap Paper and pencils Leader Resource 1, Oops!… WOW!…
Activity 4: Window/Mirror Panel - Perfectly Me
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity All participants’ Window/Mirror Panels Handout 1, Cracked Pot Template A variety of color pencils Basket(s) of Window/Mirror Panel materials: Sheets of Mylar(R) in several colors, shiny gift wrap, aluminum foil and other reflective paper Sheets of…
Activity 5: Wabi-sabi, The Beauty of Imperfection
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Pictures of raku pottery (Leader Resources 2, Raku Pot and 3, Raku Pears) Self-hardening modeling clay and pencils for all participants Optional: Raku-fired pottery item(s) and a cloth for display Preparation for Activity Print Leader Resource 2, R…
Closing
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Taking It Home handout Optional: Session 1, Leader Resource 2, Namaste Preparation for Activity Identify a place for participants to store their Window/Mirror panels between sessions….
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Windows and Mirrors

Reflect on and discuss with your co-leader(s): How did the timing go today? What might we do to make it work better? What worked well? What didn’t? What connections did you make with the children? What connections did the children make with one another? How was this evident? How could a sense of…
Faith In Action: Smile Train Fundraiser
From Windows and Mirrors

Preparation for Activity Visit the websites of Smile Train or Operation Smile. Choose one for which to raise funds. Description of Activity The Smile Train is an international organization that provides medical treatment to children born with cleft lip and cleft palate. Another organization that…
Alternate Activity 1: Chocolate Tomato Cake
From Windows and Mirrors

Materials for Activity Recipe for a chocolate cake made with tomato, and required ingredients Baking supplies Plates, forks and napkins Preparation for Activity Search online or in cookbooks for a chocolate cake recipe that uses tomatoes or tomato soup as an ingredient. Or, use a…
Taking It Home: The Blessing Of Imperfection
From Windows and Mirrors

If you look closely at a tree you’ll notice its knots and dead branches, just like our bodies. What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully. — Matthew Fox, theologian IN TODAY’S SESSION… We reflected on Unitarian Universalism’s celebration of each…
The Water Bearer's Garden

Betsy Hill Williams

From Windows and Mirrors

From uu & me! Collected Stories, edited by Betsy Hill Williams (Boston: Skinner House, 2003). Used with permission. A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on one end of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. At the end of the long walk from the…
Handout 1: Cracked Pot Template
From Windows and Mirrors

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 1: Oops!... Wow! Explanations
From Windows and Mirrors

Share these true stories of how mistakes led people to invent these useful, common items. Silly Putty From the http://www.cpaglobal.com/ip-review-online/widgets/notes_quotes/more/171… Patent Annuities website: The invention of Silly Putty was a side effect of America ‘s attempts to cope with the…
Leader Resource 2: Raku Pot
From Windows and Mirrors

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 3: Raku Pears
From Windows and Mirrors

From the website, Art ‘n Soul, copyright Sharon Bartmann. Used with permission. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Find Out More
From Windows and Mirrors

Mistakes That Worked More accidental discoveries can be found in the book Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones (New York: Doubleday, 1991). Resiliency, Diversity, and Personal “Flaws” Resiliency is a quality that helps children who are teased about their differences understand that the…