Workshop 9: Faith for the Journey

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Exploring Our Values Through Poetry, High School

In This Section

Introduction
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark. Rabindranath Tagore “Faith,” a word we use in religious language, can have many different meanings….
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: Ruby Slippers 25 Activity 2: Mystery and Faith 25 Faith in Action: Fun and Fundraising 30 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Faith Poetry 20 Alternate Activity 2: Find Faith 25 Alternate Activity 3: Journal Review…
Spiritual Preparation
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

In today’s workshop, you will use the movie The Wizard of Oz as a vehicle to discuss life journeys and the lessons they teach us. What has been the tornado in your life? Who have been the Tinman, Scarecrow, and Lion? Who was your Glinda?…
Opening
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and matches Description of Activity Use the Opening designed by your group or the one provided below. Gather around the chalice. As a volunteer lights the chalice, ask the group to focus on the word “faith” in silence. After about fifteen…
Activity 1: Ruby Slippers
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint or a dry erase board and markers Description of Activity Participants explore notions of a spiritual quest and faith by finding parallels in The Wizard of Oz….
Activity 2: Faith, Mystery, and Doubt
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, “The Ancient Sage,” by Alfred Lord Tennyson; and Handout 2, “Finders Keepers,” by Patrice Vecchione Preparation for Activity Make enough copies of Handouts 1 and 2 so that each participant may have a set. Description of Activity…
Closing
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice Singing the Living Tradition Description of Activity Use the Closing designed by your group or the one provided below….
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

With your co-leader, discuss which activities were successful and which ones were less so. Follow up on anything you need in order to coordinate the Faith in Action, Fun and Fundraising activity….
Faith In Action: Fun and Fundraising
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint and markers Preparation for Activity Optional: Visit Donors Choose and research possible projects to present to the group. Description of Activity Participants decide if they wish to use the Poetry Slam as a fundraiser for a good cause….
Alternate Activity 1: Faith Poetry
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Journals and pens or pencils Newsprint or dry erase board and markers Description of Activity Participants craft poems as a way to examine the relationship between wondering, believing, and knowing. Distribute journals. Divide a sheet of newsprint…
Alternate Activity 2: Finding Faith
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Journals and pens or pencils Description of Activity Prompts that you read to participants spark individual explorations of faith concepts. Make sure each participant has a pen/pencil and paper or a journal. Instruct participants to write an…
Alternate Activity 3: Journal Review
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Materials for Activity Journals and pens or pencils Description of Activity Participants review their journals and complete unfinished work….
Taking It Home: Faith for the Journey
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark. Rabindranath Tagore DURING TODAY’S WORKSHOP… We discussed Dorothy’s journey in The Wizard of Oz and its analogy to a spiritual quest….
Handout 1: The Ancient Sage
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)This is an excerpt from the poem “Ancient Sage” Thou canst not prove the Nameless, O my son, Nor canst thou prove the world thou movest in, Thou canst not prove that thou art body alone, Nor canst thou prove that thou art spirit alone, Nor canst thou prove that th…
Handout 2: Finders Keepers
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

by Patrice Vecchione, from Faith and Doubt (New York: Henry Holt, 2007)Just what can be found with eyes open? $10,000 in coins, anyway. Enough to fill a few five-gallon jugs….
Find Out More
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a famous Victorian poet. A short, online biography can be found at The Literature Network.

Download all of Exploring Our Values (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 9: Faith for the Journey

Tapestry is Sunsetting

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