Didn’t make it to church recently? Check out these simple activities to engage our church theme beyond Sundays. Check back often for new activities. Â
Our current church theme is “Regeneration – In the midst of so much passing away, life is already regenerating. There is so much more possibility and promise at work in the universe, so much more that we do not know.Â
We can get caught in information overwhelm, or a sense of despair or burn out, or in the sense that we must sacrifce ourselves to save ourselves.Â
But the earth invites us to another way. To walk away from extractive relationships with ourselves that strip-mine our own resilence, and transactional relationships with other beings that commodity life. To bring our world back to life by bringing ourselves back to life. To put life at the center of life.Â
This is a different way of approaching some of our greatest challenges – rather than figuring out how to solve the problem, or trying to gather enough information, this model invites us to prioritize connecting with others, and ourselves, and to life in a greater sense. And to live in ways that allow us all to thrive. Over, and over, to make beauty, and pleasure, and creativity central to our lives. To let go of outcomes, and whether or not something we do is going to “work,” and act for life because it is right, and because it connects us to life, and into partnership with regeneration, and possibility.Â
ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER KIDS (APPROX 1ST GRADE AND YOUNGER)
The Tiny Seed – by Eric Carl
Watch this story video together, then talk through a few of the questions below.
Explore these “wondering questions” as a family.
I wonder…
- What your favorite part of the story is?
- What the most important part of the story is?
- I wonder why the tiny seed kept going?
- I wonder how the tiny seed grew into a giant flower?
- I wonder if this story keeps repeating?
- I wonder where the Spirit of Love and Mystery might be in this story?
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY OF ALL AGES, including parents and teens:
Planting Wheat Grass Seeds
You can grow a centerpiece, a tiny meadow in your windowsill, or even a living Easter basket! These amazing seeds sprout within days, and will grow into a tall forest of grass in just a few weeks!
Materials:
- wheat grass seeds (sold in bulk foods as wheat berries)
- potting soil
- a container (flower pot, bowl or basket
- Aluminum foil or a plastic bag
- A spray bottle or watering can.
Instructions:
- Line your container with foil or plastic.
- Fill the container with a few inches of potting soil.
- Spread seeds close together across the surface of the soil.
- Water with a spray bottle until very moist until damp. You can use a watering can but water very lightly.
- Water every day, keeping the soil damp until the seeds sprout in just a day or two! You can trim your grass with scissors.
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MAKE A FAMILY TREEÂ Materials – poster board, colored paper, markers, crayons, glue, scissors
- Cut a simple tree shape from brown paper and glue it to a poster board.
- Cut simple leaf shapes and draw the faces of your family members onto your tree. Both your family who lives in your home and your extended family – grandparents, uncles aunts, cousins, family of choice.
- How do you like to spend time with
these special people in your life? - What makes each person in your family special? What is their special “gift?”
- What is your personal power?
Think about how you can use your
strengths to help your family and
inspire others to make a positive
difference every day. - Go for a walk together to collect fallen
leaves and use them to add some
decoration to your tree.
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Creating Sacred Time at Home
Family Prayer Beads
Prayer beads are a fun and simple way to establish daily ritual in the spiritual life of your family, and a wonderful tool for naming the important things in one’s heart.
Light a Chalice
The flaming chalice has become the shared symbol of Unitarians and Universalists around the world. Set aside time to be together in sacred space at home with simple words and ritual.Â
