Autumn Leaf projects

Here are a couple of autumn leaf projects. They could tie in with a story, but since they are the literal background of life itself in areas with four seasons, they don't really need an introduction or occasion.

Still, these would be lovely art choices for a story on the turning of the Wheel of the Year. The Neo Pagan Holidays and Holy Days CD (available on Spiritplay.net) has a lovely Wheel of the Year story, and in a year-long study of the Pagan Sabbats, author Jessica Zebrine Gray recommends beginning on Samhaim.

Leaf rubbings, a fall classroom favorite. We used soy rock crayons, which have a great texture and shape for doing rubbings. They're pricey, but last a long time since they don't break or wear down flat like typical crayons.

And this one was new to me: making overlapping cray pas leaf silhouettes. This is done by holding the leaf flat against the paper whilst making little "ticks" of oil pastel color all around the edge. You then blend the oil pastel outward, still holding the leaf firm against the page, and when you lift it, get this nice crisp-edged negative space. Have you ever seen these, occurring naturally on the pavement beneath deciduous trees? It's a little ghostly, the twin remains of fallen leaves and rain.

This project was how we introduced the oil pastels as a new art material. This particular brand of cray pas had its own tray, which was nice; Crayolas don't, and they immediately get jumbled up and mark on each other.

Weaving with CD Looms

Here's a new work choice for the Spirit Play classroom or a quiet lap-activity to work on during service: CD loom weaving.

There is a good tutorial here, as well as many colorful examples using fun and funky yarn and colors. I included a selection of colors in each box and basket, each piece about 3 feet long, and a 3x5 card with brief instructions on the back.  (I forgot to include the round-tipped child scissors in the box pictured, but they'd go in, too, so that the kids would have everything they needed at the ready.)

Here is one way to write out the instructions:

  

• ·         Move the shuttle over, under, over, under the warp yarn, or the lines going out from the center of the circle.
• ·         When you want to change colors, cut the old yarn, leaving a little tail that you can tuck in later.
• ·         Then, tie the new yarn with a small knot to the next closest warp string. Tie the other end of the new yarn to   the back of the shuttle.
• ·         Continue in your over, under, over, under pattern.
• ·         When you finish, tie your last bit of yarn to the warp string.
• ·         Remember, there is no wrong way to do this. The learning is everything.
• ·         Keep your weaving, or donate it to the church to use as a glare interrupter to help songbirds not crash into our windows. Thanks!

 It would be great to have picture instructions, too, for pre-readers.

At first, I thought we might build up a stash of these that could be used as glare interrupters to help songbirds not fly into our windows. But I'll have to get a couple of samples up and view them from outside to see if they work that way. They're lovely as art pieces just the same, and could be an all-the-time work choice or could be a special work choice along with a Grandmother Spider story or with the book "Extra Yarn," which is about a little girl who has a never-ending supply of yarn that she uses to knit for all her friends, neighbors, and even enemies.

Lap Geoboards

Geoboards are another homeschooling favorite that translate well to the interactive, multi-modal, free-choice R.E. classroom (such as Spirit Play!), or even as a during-service, quiet, independent activity for younger children.

We'll likely use them as the latter in our church, because that is where there is the greatest present need for some creativity.

These were super easy to make. Took me about four hours total, from store shopping to finished product.

Here are the supplies for making a set of 4:

(4) 7x9 inch blank pine plaque, $2-3 each
pushpins, $3-4 for a pack of 200
30-pack of colorful, no-snag hair elastics, $3-4

I looked up a one-inch grid online, then put a blank piece of paper onto my computer screen and made dots on the paper, enough to fit on my plaque.

I laid the piece of paper over my plaque and felt around the edges, trying to get the dots pretty well centered on the plaque. With a wee bit of ease around the edges, I ended up with 6 by 8 one-inch dots.

Once the dot paper was well positioned, I took one pushpin and pushed through the paper and a little bit into the wood, which made the marks exactly where they needed to be. I did this for all the dots, being careful not to shift the paper. (You could also actually push in a pin or two at the corners to be sure your paper won't slip.)

Then, I took off the paper and pushed individual pins in by hand where I saw the marks. I will admit, my thumb got pretty sore! That's a lot of pins by your 3rd or 4th geoboard. Some pins were harder than others to push in (especially those around a knot in the wood), so I used a hammer to come afterward and gently tap all of them down flush. You have to be careful, though, because I got a little carried away with one and broke the plastic off the top of the pin, and it was a doozy getting that sucker pried back up with a butter knife. So gentle as it goes with the hammer.

My hope is to put the geoboard and a set of six or so colored bands in small baskets that kids could take as they enter the sanctuary and then have in their laps during service. I can see some potential pitfalls here--if kids tried to pry up the pushpins (very hard to do, but possible) and if kids used the geoboards like slingshots to zip the elastics all over (which was the second thing my kids did with them, after making pictures of swords). But, like anything else, we'll assume the best and most creative use of the materials, help the kids understand how to act in ways that are kind to those around them while sharing a space, and be patient as they learn and grow.

Abraham and Ishmael

I did it! I wrote my first Spirit Play story, and told it today!

It went really, really well. It was risky. It was the story of Abraham and Ishmael, told as part of a Children's Chapel service about the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which occurs in a week and a half.

It's a tough story for some UU's to sit with. There's Abraham, a key dude in the Bible, Torah, and Quaran. There's God, the angry Father in heaven. And there's that part about Abraham unquestioningly agreeing to murder his son since God told him to.

Some UU's strain mightily to find the wisdom in stories such as this one from our Jewish and Christian heritage. But that's something I like a lot about Spirit Play. Spirit Play works with stories. All stories are true. They are true stories. "Once upon a time..." "As the story goes..." "And they say..." There is an acceptance of the validity of the genre that allows us to hear the truth of a story and hold it in a different--but no less important--place than the truth of physics or geological time or cell biology.

No one at a UU church is asking anyone else to swallow the truth of a story whole. We are hearing and feeling and thinking about the story together. We are wondering about it together. We co-create a place that is safe to explore, where our questions are taken seriously and appreciated, and where we share what truths we discern for ourselves as we muddle through this beautiful business called Life.

So today, eleven children and I examined this story--the inspiration for one of the two official holidays of the 2nd largest religion of the world--to see what we could see.

Here's the story:

Spirit Play Story

“Abraham and the Sacrifice”

Materials:

White underlay, 36” square

2 peg people, one large and one small

4 strips contrasting, natural-colored, textured fabric (to represent 3-day voyage up mountain plus one strip laid horizontally at the top)

Brown textured fabric cut into oval about 6” long

Ram cut out of felt or sewn

Shrub cut out of felt or sewn

[Spread out white underlay. Lay the three fabric strips going up in a rough stair-step like a mountain, with the fourth one laying flat across the top as the top of your mountain where the sacrifice will take place.]

As the story goes, Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.

[Set Abraham at bottom of mountain.]

This story is about only one of his sons. Jewish and Christian people believe this story is about Isaac. Muslim people believe the exact same story is about Ishmael. It’s the same story, but a different son, depending on who’s telling the story.

Today, I’m going to tell the story with Ishmael and Abraham, because this is the Muslim story.

[Place Ishmael on overlay next to Abraham]

Abraham loved his God and trusted Him and believed that He was always good and right.

One day, God told Abraham to take his son Ishmael up to the top of the mountain and kill him. God told Abraham this would please Him.

Abraham was confused, and worried. He loved his son and didn’t want to hurt him. But he also trusted God and believed that everything God said and did was right. He chose to obey God.

Abraham and Ishmael went up the mountain. Abraham carried a knife, and Ishmael carried a bundle of wood.

[Move characters up the mountain. Roll up the wood bundle so that Ishmael can “carry” it. At the top, place the pile of wood next to the shrub.]

When they reached the top of the mountain, Abraham tied Ishmael up, laid him on the pile of wood, and held the knife over him. Just then, an angel appeared to Abraham and told him to stop. The angel said God didn’t want Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael after all, but wanted him to sacrifice a ram instead. At that moment, Abraham noticed a ram—a male sheep—who was tangled in a bramble bush nearby.

[Place shrub next to pile of wood. Place ram in shrub.]

Abraham untied Ishmael. He caught the ram, and sacrificed the ram instead.

[Move Ishmael from pile of wood and next to Abraham. Move ram into pile of wood.]

The son Ishmael lived a long time, and became an important prophet of the Muslim people.

Wondering questions:

I wonder what about this story surprised you?

I wonder how Ishmael felt when he heard Abraham’s plan to sacrifice him?

I wonder if Abraham thought about refusing God’s order that he kill his son?

I wonder why the ram needed to be sacrificed at the end of the story?

I wonder why this story is important to the Muslim people?

***

One child added, "I wondered why God changed his mind. Or maybe the angel wasn't right about God changing his mind?"  Another chimed in and wondered why God didn't just say the ram to begin with, since he was God and all.

Because we didn't do this story in the Spirit Play classroom, but rather used the Spirit Play method of storytelling in a Children's Chapel service, I opened and closed with some information about Eid al-Adha. Here was my closing text, which we followed with a "feast" of dried dates:

The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha celebrates this story in several ways. First, families and neighbors and friends get together to pray to God. Muslims pray five time a day, every day. Muslims also give to charity on this day. In honor of the sacrifice of the ram, it is a Muslim tradition for a farmer to slaughter one of his or her animals and give 1/3 of the meat to the poor, 1/3 of the meat to friends and neighbors, and keep 1/3 of the meat for his or her own family. In the United States, there are not that many Muslims who are farmers. So instead, many Muslims give food to a food bank, contribute money to an animal rescue (maybe if they are vegetarians), or find another way to give to charity. Giving to charity is very important to Muslims. Muslim families also feast together on Eid al-Adha. A traditional Muslim feast food is dates. Have you ever had a date before? That is our feast today.

 

Wonder Box paper lotus

I watched a good video a while back of a workshop given at General Assembly this year called "Wonderbox: Integrated, Meaningful Time for All Ages." The presenter was Rev. Christina Leone (from my birth town of Annapolis, MD!). (I'll post the link below; it's an hour long, but very worth a watch.) The concept of her Time for All Ages idea draws much from Spirit Play (which she mentions herself in the presentation), and seems like a good fit for our congregation. We're trying it for the first time this Sunday.

The Story for All Ages this week is the parable of the Buddha and the flower:

Who can help me with the Wonder Box today? Anyone willing to open it and see what’s inside?

Ah, I see we have a flower. This is a folded paper flower, maybe a folded paper lotus. This isn’t the only lotus in this room. Can anyone else see another?

Today’s Time for All Ages story is about the Buddha, Sidhartha Gautama, and his “Flower Sermon.”

The story goes that one day, the Buddha was scheduled to speak before thousands of his disciples. They were all gathered waiting for him, waiting to receive his wisdom.

The Buddha entered. Maybe a hush fell over the crowd. But the Buddha…said nothing. He said nothing, but he held out a flower. He looked at the flower. The disciples…didn’t know what to do.

One delivered a lecture on the meaning of the flower.

One composed a poem about the flower and recited it.

One shared a parable on what the flower could symbolize.

Still, the Buddha stayed silent, and simply…looked.

Finally, the disciple Mahakashyapa looked. He was also silent. And then, he smiled.

The Buddha handed Mahakashyapa the flower, and he said to his followers, “What could be said, I have said to you. And what could not be said, but what had to be known wordlessly, for one’s own self, I have given to Mahakashyapa.”

And our Wonder Box item is a paper lotus, made using these directions:

We don't have a dedicated Wonder Box yet, but that will be fun little thrift store trip in the next couple of days.

 

Blessing of the Animals Service for the Public

Images, clockwise from top: detail of mosaic of Saint Francis of Assisi from the Saint Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse, NY; "Noah's Ark," by Edward Hicks, 1846; "Offering the Buffalo Skull--Mandan," by Edward Curtis, 1908; "Strength," from the Gaian Tarot, Joanna Powell-Colbert; "Unitarian Universalist Chalice World Flame," by Christia Cummings-Slack.


This Saturday, we are holding a Blessing of the Animals ceremony on the front lawn. One of our organizers is very savvy with PR, and she wrote a good press release that got picked up by the NPR station. It has been announced several times a day for a week already.

It looks like this service will be no small affair. I feel excited and nervous about that.

As a bit of background, the Blessing of the Animals is a religious service offered by many Catholic, Episcopal, Jewish, and Unitarian Universalist organizations. It's often held around this time of year, early October, which corresponds with St. Francis of Assisi Day, as well as the Noah's Ark portion of the yearly reading of the Torah. I have never been to one before, but in researching the one we planned for this weekend, I came to understand that what most of these services have in common is a recognition that animals are a special gift in our lives, an honoring of their inherent goodness, and a dedication to treating them well.

For my part, I am going to be presenting the Time for All Ages story about the Blessing of the Animals, as well as doing the blessing itself with a willow stick and water from our waters of the world basin. What I'd like to share here is the text that I'm using for the Time for All Ages story, as well as a picture (above) of the felt board that will be mounted near the altar at the front of the lawn. There is an existing Blessing of the Animals text by Connie Dunn and Kirsten Robinson on the Spirit Play training CD.  I borrowed the structure and some verbiage from their excellent piece, and tailored the content and wording to our particular audience and purpose:

St. Francis and the Blessing of the Animals

Spirit Play story for use with entire congregation, based on the work of Connie Dunn

Materials

Green feltboard on an easel or otherwise supported and pointed toward audience

Items: Large (8x10ish) picture of St. Francis of Assisi, Noah’s Ark, a colorful UU chalice, Gaian Tarot image of person and animal, Edward Curtis image of plains Indian honoring bison spirit, all backed with Velcro (see below for examples)

Presentation

St. Francis was a Catholic monk. He believed that animals and the earth were good and important gifts from God.

Place the picture of St. Francis on the felt board.

St. Francis said, “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” He is said to have treated animals with great love and kindness during his lifetime. He told people to take care of their animals as they took care of themselves. October 4 is the Catholic St. Francis feast day.

Place Noah’s Ark on the board.

Blessing the animals is an old Jewish tradition. While sometimes the Jewish Ceremony of Blessing the Animals is performed on the seventh day of Passover in the Spring, it is more often celebrated when the Torah reading is about Noah’s Ark, around this time of the fall.

Unitarian Universalism shares a heritage with Judaism and Christianity, and also has a tradition each fall of recognizing and giving thanks for how important and beloved animals are in our lives.

Place on the felt board a picture of a chalice.

Our seventh Unitarian Universalist principle is to care for the earth and all those who live on it. We value being part of the interconnected web of all existence—all creatures, people, and plants depend on each other and need clear water, clean air, and a healthy planet to call home. We humans are the ones who can decide to protect animals and the earth from harm, and Unitarian Universalists work together to make that happen.

            Place picture of “Strength” tarot card showing woman and lion. (Gaian Tarot)

Pagans view animals, both pet and wild, as sacred earthlings and kindred spirits, embodying special aspects of the God and Goddess. They recognize animals as helpers who are connected with that which is unspoken, but is seen, felt, tasted, heard, smelled, and perceived all around us.

Place picture of Native American honoring the animal spirits on the board.

Many Native American traditions also see the animals as spiritual brothers and sisters. Some Native Americans—and pagans, too—also see plant life as spiritual kin. Before harvesting food from the ground or hunting animals, birds, or fish, those who follow a Native American spiritual path might talk to these living beings and tell them why they are harvesting or hunting them. In this way, people stay grounded in the understanding that for all we eat, something has grown on this planet and given its life to fill our human bellies.

I wonder what all these traditions have in common?

I wonder if people of every religion, in every time, have experienced special connections with animals?

I wonder what part of this was new to you, that you maybe heard for the first time?

I wonder if you see yourself and the animal or animals you love somewhere in this story?

Edited to add:

This is what our altar looked like after the Blessing of the Animals service. (The green felt board was up on the altar as I told the story, but we moved it afterward so that the pictures of past beloved pets could be seen.) It went great! It was interesting to see how people responded to the story. At the very beginning, it seemed as if people didn't quite know what to make of the story. I don't know if the Saint Francis reference followed by Noah's Ark was a bit too Christian for them or what, but there was a little resistance in the body language and energy of the room. But, by the time I got to the part about UUism and the environmental aspects of taking care of animals, plants, and the earth, people were back into it. And they really seemed to like the Pagan and Native American pieces. I tried--and am trying--to remember that my job is not to make people comfortable and happy, but to give them the information and experiences that will help them to make the world a better place. That's a hard, but pretty dang amazing job.