Session 9: Love Surrounds Us in Our Search

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Love Surrounds Us, Grades K-1

In This Section

Introduction
From Love Surrounds Us

Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere….
Session-at-a-Glance
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 5 Activity 1: Story — Many Paths to God 10 Activity 2: Personal Symbols 20 Activity 3: Chalice Sand Painting 20 Faith in Action: Photos of Our Sacred Space Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Calling the Directions 5 Alternate Activity 2: Basket Game…
Spiritual Preparation
From Love Surrounds Us

Members of our congregations may be in a continual search for what is right and true for themselves. You may have been on a spiritual journey for many years or are new to developing your own religious values. Think about how you might respond if a child asks you about your own beliefs….
Welcoming and Entering
From Love Surrounds Us

Materials for Activity Ribbon sticks (or wrist ribbons) in a container (Session 1, Opening) Drawing paper and crayons Preparation for Activity If you have not previously made ribbons sticks or wrist ribbons for each child do it now as per instructions in Session 1, Opening….
Opening for Session 9
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Ribbon sticks (or wrist ribbons) in a container (Session 1, Opening) Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED/battery-operated candle Session 1, Leader Resource 1, Rote Teaching — Love Surrounds Us Song Green cloth for centering table Preparation for…
Activity 1: Story, Many Paths to God
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “Many Paths to God” Optional: Four different hand puppets Optional: “Many Paths to God” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Read the story so you are comfortable presenting it as a play….
Activity 2: Personal Symbols
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Magazines and/or newspapers that can be cut up Large sheets of construction paper in various colors Glue sticks and scissors, including left-handed scissors Preparation for Activity Gather participants at work tables. Description of Activity…
Activity 3: Chalice Sand Painting
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Cardboard Craft sand (at least three different colors), paper cups, and plastic spoons Pencils Glue and small paintbrushes Preparation for Activity Cut cardboard into circles approximately 8 inches in diameter, one circle for each child plus a few…
Closing
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Description of Activity Invite everyone to gather in a circle and hold hands….
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Love Surrounds Us

Think about the children in the session today. Did they understand what symbols are? Were participants able to choose their personal symbols? Did they understand that everyone has their own thoughts about religion and all of them can be right? Does anyone need assistance in crafts? Are there…
Faith In Action: Photos of Our Sacred Space
From Love Surrounds Us

Materials for Activity A digital still camera and photo printing equipment, or a Polaroid instant camera Construction paper, multiple colors Scissors Glue sticks or rubber cement Push pins or stapler Preparation for Activity Arrange to use a prominent bulletin board in the congregation….
Alternate Activity 1: Calling the Directions
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Preparation for Activity Read the Description of Activity so you are comfortable using it to lead this activity. Identify an indoor or outdoor space for this activity. Find out which direction is east….
Alternate Activity 2: Basket Game
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Basket or flat bowl about ten inches in diameter, one for every five participants Heavy, light-colored cardboard Markers, various colors, to share Preparation for Activity Cut cardboard into two-inch squares, one for each participant plus a few extra.
Alternate Activity 3: Poster, Fourth Principle
From Love Surrounds Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Poster — Fourth Principle Crayons and/or color markers Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 1 for all participants. Set crayons/markers at work tables. Description of Activity Distribute the handout. Invite children to think about an…
Taking It Home: Love Surrounds Us in Our Search
From Love Surrounds Us

Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere. — Theodore Parker, 19th-century Unitarian minister and abolitionist IN TODAY’S SESSION… children learned about the Unitarian Universalist Principle about being free to search for what is true and right….
Many Paths to God

Mary Ann Moore

From Love Surrounds Us

Adapted from “Many Paths to God” in Hide and Seek with God (Skinner House Books, 1994). Used with permission. Narrator: Once upon a time, four travelers from different lands met near a mountain. The travelers had been told that if they climbed the mountain, they would find God at the top….
Handout 1: Poster, Fourth Principle
From Love Surrounds Us

Unitarian Universalist Fourth Principle Each person is free to search for what is true and right in life. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Find Out More
From Love Surrounds Us

Books for adults that represent a wide variety of religious beliefs in prose and poetry include The Enlightened Heart (New York: Harper & Row, 1989) and The Enlightened Mind (HarperCollins Publishers, 1991), both edited by Stephen Mitchell. Books with meditations and prayers are A Grateful Heart,…