Tapestry of Faith: Signs of Our Faith: A Program about Being UU Every Day for Grades 2-3

Introduction

I am not going to question your opinions. I am not going to meddle with your belief. I am not going to dictate to you mine. All that I say is, examine, inquire. Look into the nature of things. Search out the grounds of your opinions, the for and against. Know why you believe, understand what you believe, and possess a reason for the faith that is in you. — Frances Wright, writer, feminist, abolitionist, and utopian

Children discover there can be multiple answers to big questions. They learn that to seek and evaluate answers to big questions is a sign of UU faith. They experience prayer or mediation, the ritual of this session, as a way of seeking answers within and a way to articulate and feel their own appreciation, gratitude, wishes, and hopes.

For Activity 1, you will need the puzzle pieces children made in Session 3 and blank puzzle pieces from the same set.

If your congregation has a prayer or meditation ritual, add the relevant words to Handout 1, UU Prayers and Meditations and plan to teach the ritual as part of Activity 3.

In Activity 4, children receive their first emblem to add to the stoles they received in Session 2. Decide whether you will use the image provided in Leader Resource 1 or create emblems another way, such as having children use the symbols of themselves they made in Session 1. See the program Introduction for more guidance.

Goals

This session will:

  • Show that questioning in religious exploration is a sign of our faith
  • Introduce Unitarian Universalist rituals that use prayer or meditation
  • Engage participants in experiencing and creating a prayer or meditation.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  • Recognize questioning and seeking answers as activities of religious exploration and signs of Unitarian Universalist faith
  • Understand prayer or mediation as a religious ritual that can connect us to our inside thoughts and spirit as well as the world around us
  • Use prayer or meditation to articulate and express religious feelings such as gratitude, awe, hope, and longing
  • Add an emblem to their leadership stoles.