Session 2: Symbols of Faith

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

We see in the world around us many symbols that teach us the meaning of life. You could notice if you wanted to, but you are usually too busy. We Indians live in a world of symbols and images where the spiritual and the commonplace are one. — John Fire/Lame Deer and Richard Erodes Session 2 of…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Creating Home

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 10 Activity 1: Story — Flame of Learning, Chalice of Love 5 Activity 2: Connecting Circles 10 Activity 3: Spirit of Life Wrist Scarf Dance 10 Activity 4: Our Own Faith Symbols 15 Activity 5: Circle Round the Chalice 5 Faith in Action: Refugees’ New Homes — Long-term 10…
Spiritual Preparation
From Creating Home

Sit or stand and close your eyes. Holding the chalice, explore it with your hands. Touch the base. Feel the curve of the bowl. Breathe deeply and be open to what the chalice symbolizes to you about the Unitarian Universalist faith. Try not to limit your thoughts to preconceived ideas about the…
Opening
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 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 Optional: A picture of a real human heart and a picture of a heart shape Optional: A national flag or a…
Activity 1: Story - Flame Of Learning, Chalice Of Love
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “Flame of Learning, Chalice of Love” A copy of Leader Resource 1, Unitarian Service Committee Chalice Item(s) with images of the Unitarian Universalist chalice symbol including the two connecting circles Optional: A copy of the…
Activity 2: Connecting Circles
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity…
Activity 3: "Spirit Of Life" Wrist Scarf Dance
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Colorful, flowing scarves, for all participants Ponytail holders to secure scarves to participants’ wrists Optional: CD with a version of the song, “Spirit of Life” Preparation for Activity Review “Spirit of Life,” Hymn 123 in Singing the Living…
Activity 4: Our Own Faith Symbols
From Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Handout 1, My Faith Symbol for all participants An assortment of shapes, cut out from Leader Resource 2, Faith Symbol Shapes Pencils and erasers Roll of magnetic adhesive tape, and scissors Preparation for Activity Print and photocopy…
Activity 5: Circle Round the Chalice
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Preparation for Activity Make sure you know the tune for either: “London Bridge Is Falling Down” or “Go Round and Round the Village.” Description of Activity An active singing game helps children experience the connectedness symbolized by the flaming chalice and overlappi…
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

When you prepared yourself spiritually for this session you asked yourself several questions about the children in the group. Think now about what you learned within the sacred circle these children represent….
Faith In Action: Refugees' New Homes - Long-Term
From Creating Home

Activity time: 45 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Contact a refugee aid association for a list of needed items. Find out what kinds of donations they might accept. You may plan to bring the donations yourself. Or, you can arrange for a…
Faith In Action: Homeless People’s Needs - Short-Term
From Creating Home

Activity time: 45 minutes Materials for Activity Personal care items donated for homeless people Locking plastic bags Preparation for Activity Contact a local agency that serves homeless adults or families and offer to donate a number of personal care kits. Find out what kinds of donations the…
Alternate Activity 1: Wax-resistant Chalice Painting
From Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice ArtAn assortment of color, wax crayons for participants to share Blue, water-based paint for participants to share Paintbrushes for all participants Preparation for Activity Print out and photocopy a few different chalices large enough to…
Alternate Activity 2: Stained Glass Chalice
From Creating Home

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity White glue Water Colored tissue paper Disposable paintbrushes for participants to share 18” pipe cleaners in different colors Scissors Pyrex® custard cups or other wide-mouthed, heat-resistant vessels, approximately one-cup size, for all participan…
Alternate Activity 3: Circle Connect Us
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Colored paper, cut into strips Tape or glue for fastening each strip into a closed ring Scissors, if participants will cut more paper Optional: Markers or crayons Preparation for Activity Cut colored paper into strips about one inch wide and eight…
Taking It Home: Symbols of Faith
From Creating Home

We see in the world around us many symbols that teach us the meaning of life. You could notice if you wanted to, but you are usually too busy. We Indians live in a world of symbols and images where the spiritual and the commonplace are one….
Circles of Light
From Creating Home

Janeen K. Grohsmeyer, adapted from the story, “Circles of Light: The Flaming Chalice.” In the dark nights and the darker days of World War II, guns blazed all over Europe and airplanes dropped death from the sky. Many people tried to escape from the war. These people were called refugees. Some…
Flame of Learning, Chalice of Love

Janeen K Grohsmeyer

From Creating Home

(Light a chalice, if there isn’t already one lit, and have some matches at hand.) Have you ever watched a candle burn? (Lean forward to impart the secret.) The fire is alive. Watch it! It moves. It flickers. It dances on the wind. It changes with every breath of air. (Demonstrate this.) Fire is…
Handout 1: My Faith Symbol
From Creating Home

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 1: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Chalice
From Creating Home

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 2: Faith Symbol Shapes
From Creating Home

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 3: Unitarian Universalist Principles in Children's Language
From Creating Home

Unitarian Universalist Principles in Children’s Language Use these versions of the Principles to guide a discussion about faith as children prepare to create their own faith symbols in Session 2, Activity 5: 1. We believe that each and every person is important. 2. We believe that all people…
Leader Resource 4: Scarf Request
From Creating Home

Dear Parents, When Creating Home meets on [insert day, date], the children will learn the song “Spirit of Life,” Hymn 123 in Singing the Living Tradition, and improvise a dance to the song with wrist scarves which we will assemble during the session. If you have a colorful, flowing scarf at home…
Find Out More
From Creating Home

The Flaming Chalice For a more detailed account of the Unitarian Service Committee’s creation of the flaming chalice symbol during World War II, read the story, “Circles of Light,” adapted from a story in A Lamp in Every Corner: A Unitarian Universalist Storybook by Janeen K. Grohsmeyer (Boston:…