Closing
Part of 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 Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey, "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place." Decide whether you prefer to have the children sing or recite the chorus words to close this session. If you will need the words and/or music to lead the group, place a copy of Singing the Journey near your chalice.
- Customize, print out, and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.
- If you have a Word Wall, write the words "grace" and "blessing" with bold marker on index cards or post-its.
Description of Activity
Gather the group in a circle around the labyrinth. Relight the chalice. Invite the children to take their stones from the labyrinth, place them in the basket, and return to the circle.
If you have a Word Wall, say:
The words for our World Wall today are "grace" and "blessing."
Show the group the index cards or post-its on which you have written "grace" and "blessing." Post them on the Word Wall, or ask a volunteer to do it.
Ask a few volunteers to help you fold or roll the labyrinth and put it away.
Next, invite everyone to hold hands and sing just the chorus to "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place," Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey.
If you prefer, invite participants to recite the words to the song:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place.
We are blessed with love and amazing grace.
When our heart is in a holy place.
Say in your own words:
Thank you for breaking bread with me today. I leave you with a traditional blessing from the country of Ireland.
Then, give this blessing:
May the blessing of light be on you -
Light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart
Till it glows like a great peat fire,
So that the stranger may come and warm himself at it,
And also a friend.
Extinguish the chalice.
Distribute the Taking It Home handout you have prepared. Remind the children to give the handout to their parents, and dismiss the group.