Opening Check-Ins
We support each other no matter what. Invite everyone to share something that made them happy and/or something that made them sad this past week. We are here to support each other in prayer and presence.Centering in Silence and Song
If you have a household altar, I recommend using it. If not, a sense of ritual and sacred time can be initiated by lighting a candle and ringing a bell (three times is usually a good way to help everyone settle into silence). Share a few minutes of silence together. You may sound the bell again when silence is over. Children often enjoy the responsibility of these tasks (and should be supervised and assisted as appropriate).Prayer of Jesus
If you have a particular version of the prayer that you use, you are encouraged to use it.This is the "children's translation" that I wrote and use with my students:
God all around us with many sacred names
We roll up our sleeves to create a beautiful world with you
Please care for us and our needs and forgive us when we don’t do our best
Please help us to be forgiving of others, too.
Help us to be good, loving, and safe so we can help create a loving and safe world for everyone.
Amen.
Sacred Story
Background:
There are many ways that our world is different than the world of Jesus and the other figures in the Bible. A long time ago, people did things very differently. We also know things about health and wellness that we didn’t used to know.For instance, people didn’t used to know that smoking was bad for you. In my great grandma’s medical book, it just says smoking is rude for women, not that it will hurt your lungs or give you cancer.
Does anyone know what a chamber pot is?
A chamber pot is one of the ways that people in different times and places have used the bathroom. People would go to the bathroom in a pot and then throw it out the window. So people’s poo was in the street and it made people sick.
Does anyone know what an outhouse is?
When my family has gone camping, we use outhouses. They are kind of like a toilet that doesn’t flush— it’s just over a big hole in the ground that someone empties once in a while. When I visited a castle in Scotland, I saw toilets kind of like that from the middle ages. A big hole.
In some places, outhouses are normal. Some of us went to Tecate and helped build houses. When we do that, we build a separate bathroom building outside.
We are very lucky that we live in a country with safe water and toilets and sanitation. It helps us stay healthy and not get sick. It means we live longer.
Does it say anything in the Bible about how to go to the bathroom? It’s kinda crazy, but it does! In the book of Deuteronomy (ch. 23), it says:
2 You shall have a designated area outside the camp to which you shall go. 13 With your utensils you shall have a trowel; when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement. 14 Because the Lord your God travels along with your camp, to save you and to hand over your enemies to you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.
Let’s look at some pictures of toilets and sanitation from biblical times.
(pictures and discussion-- I printed photos of ancient toilets from toiletguru.com)
A bit later this month is WORLD TOILET DAY (November 19). It’s kind of a silly holiday, but it’s actually very important, because when people don’t have good toilets, they get sick more often and aren’t as healthy.
When we make our collection for World Toilet Day, we will be helping to make sure that people everywhere have toilets that will help them stay clean and healthy.
Read together "God is a savior" in Images of God for Young Children (74-75)
Craft:
We'll make toilet paper flowers! You can find an easy instructional video here:
Closing Prayer
“God, we thank you for the knowledge that scientists, engineers, and doctors have given us. We are grateful for toilets, clean running water, and access to clean environments that keep us healthy and safe. We ask that all of your children would have access to clean water and sanitation so that everyone can be clean, safe, and healthy.”Curriculum texts used:
Special Texts used:
- none
No comments:
Post a Comment