Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Chalice Children: A Program about Our Unitarian Universalist Community for Preschoolers

Taking It Home: Making Chalices

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. — from "This Little Light of Mine," Hymn 118 in Singing the Living Tradition

IN TODAY'S SESSION . . . the theme was, "The chalice is our special symbol of our Unitarian Universalist faith, which we share with Unitarian Universalists everywhere." We made chalices with modeling clay!

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER . . . Invite your child to describe their chalice to you. How might you use their chalice—in their bedroom, on the dining table?

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try . . . finding at the library the excellent book we read today about the chalice, A Cup of Light by Pamela Baxter (2009), or purchase the book for your home.

A Family Adventure. Find out if your family can light the chalice for the service together. Ahead of time, visit the worship area together and see where the chalice is displayed.

A Family Discovery. Explore chalice lightings on the UUA website that you could use at home. Find more Chalice Lightings for Young Children on the website of the First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI). If you download the Illuminations app for your smartphone, you can "light" a variety of chalice images by tapping on the screen. You can even "blow" them out—the microphone picks up your breath and removes the flame image.

A Family Game. Play "Chalice, Chalice, Flame" just like "Duck, Duck, Goose." Sing "This Little Light of Mine," Hymn 118 in Singing the Living Tradition.

A Family Ritual. Before dinner together, pretend to "light" the chalice your child made in today's session. Say chalice-lighting words such as, "We light this chalice for the warmth of love, the light of truth, and the energy of action." Or pretend to light the chalice as part of a bedtime ritual, then "blow it out" together when it is time for bed.

A Cup of Light All About the Flaming Chalice

By Pamela Baxter

From Skinner House Books

Also available as a Cine-Book The flaming chalice is the symbol of Unitarian Universalism. Yet where did the symbol originate? Why did Unitarian Universalists adopt it as the emblem of their faith? What does the symbol mean?...

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