Session 2: The Miracle of Close Attention

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

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Part of Miracles, Wide Age Span

In This Section

Introduction
From Miracles

I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it. — Shug Avery, in Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple The miracles of the church seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Miracles

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Sharing Miracle Moments 10 Activity 2: Story – May Sarton 10 Activity 3: To Look with Absolute Attention 15 Activity 4: Observational Drawing 15 Faith In Action: Plant Sale – Share the Miracle Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature 10…
Spiritual Preparation
From Miracles

Set aside five minutes before the session. Find a comfortable position, and take three deep breaths to center yourself. Feel the details of your body—where it is touching the chair, walls or ground, how your feet feel on the floor and the sensations of your breathing….
Opening
From Miracles

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and LED/battery-operated candle Optional: Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Write the chalice lighting words on newsprint, and post. Description of Activity Gather participants in a circle around the chalice. Welcome new…
Activity 1: Sharing Miracles Moments
From Miracles

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Newsprint with definition(s) of a miracle generated by the group in Session 1 Preparation for Activity Post the definition(s) of a miracle that the group generated in Session 1….
Activity 2: Story – May Sarton
From Miracles

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “May Sarton” Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Read the story, “May Sarton.” Prepare to read or tell it dramatically. Print on newsprint and post the following May Sarton quote: “If one looks long…
Activity 3: To Look with Absolute Attention
From Miracles

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Everyday items from nature such as tree leaves or branches, a nautilus or other shell, potted plants, cut flowers, sunflower heads, pinecones, or a pineapple Tools participants can use to investigate the objects and pictures, such as a magnifying…
Activity 4: Observational Drawing
From Miracles

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Items and tools for observation, from Activity 3, To Look with Absolute Attention Drawing paper and pencils, color pencils, pastels, and crayons Optional: Slow- or non-hardening modeling clay Optional: Clipboards if table space is limited Preparati…
Closing
From Miracles

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Taking It Home Optional: Session 1, Handout 1, Say “Yes” to a Miracle Optional: Session 1, Handout 2, For the Beauty of the Earth Optional: Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Review the two song suggestions (Handouts 1 and 2).
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Miracles

To reflect together after each session, you may wish to use these questions: How was our mix of discussion and action? How well did the timing of this session work? How well did participants understand and engage with spiritual concepts? How can we tell? Does the group include youngsters who have…
Faith In Action: Plant Sale - Share the Miracle
From Miracles

Materials for Activity Seasonal, fruit- or vegetable-bearing potted plants or seedlings to sell Tables and chairs; container(s) to hold money; pens/pencils and paper to record sales and/or provide receipts Poster board, color markers, and tape Information about the organization or cause that will…
Alternate Activity 1: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
From Miracles

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape A whole pineapple, a pinecone or another object with a natural pattern that reflects the Fibonacci number sequence Leader Resource 1, Fibonacci Images Optional: Computer, preferably with Internet access and projector…
Alternate Activity 2: Fun with Fibonacci – Art Collage
From Miracles

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Large sheets of paper for all participants Fibonacci plants and vegetables, e.g., several stalks of broccoli or cauliflower tree, a pineapple, a pinecone, plant leaves with raised veins, a tree branch with sub-branches, flowers in bloom, a banana…
Alternate Activity 3: Fives and Eights – The Numbers in Pinecones
From Miracles

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Fibonacci-by-Numbers Pinecone 1 Handout 2, Fibonacci-by-Numbers Pinecone 2 Color pencils to share Optional: Painter’s tape or push pins to display finished artwork Preparation for Activity Copy Handouts 1 and 2 for all participants.
Alternate Activity 4: Paying Close Attention Outdoors
From Miracles

Activity time: 40 minutes Materials for Activity Paper for drawing and writing, clipboards, and pens/pencils for all participants Optional: Blankets to sit on and snacks, including water Preparation for Activity Identify an outdoor location where you can walk with the group and spend undisturbed…
Alternate Activity 5: Observational Writing
From Miracles

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Items and tools for observation from Activity 3, To Look with Absolute Attention Writing paper and pencils/pens for all participants Optional: Clipboards for all participants Description of Activity This activity is designed to follow Activity 3, T…
Taking It Home: The Miracle of Close Attention
From Miracles

I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it. — Shug Avery, in Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple The miracles of the church seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon…
May Sarton
From Miracles

There once was an inquisitive, thoughtful girl named May. She was born in Belgium, about 100 years ago. She lived there only a few years until the German invasion in 1914. Fleeing Europe, May Sarton and her family came to live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where May’s father became a professor.
Handout 1: Fibonacci-by-Numbers Pinecone 1
From Miracles

Artwork adapted by permission from Dr. Ron Knott’s … webpage. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Handout 2: Fibonacci-by-Numbers Pinecone 2
From Miracles

Artwork adapted by permission from Dr. Ron Knott’s … webpage. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 1: Fibonacci Images
From Miracles

Tree and pinecone illustrations show Fibonacci patterns in nature, courtesy of the Fractal Foundation.
Find Out More
From Miracles

May Sarton Find a biography of the poet, novelist and memoirist May Sarton in the online Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography. Sarton was drawn to Unitarianism throughout her life. The DUUB article reads, in part, “(Sarton’s) appeal lay in her ability to ‘sacramentalize the…