First Parish Cohasset

Last Sunday (1/22) the children participated in a “One-Room Schoolhouse” in the Parish House. Fifteen children aged 3-11 joined together to hear the same Bible story that the congregation was hearing in the Meeting House.

In the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman, Jesus has a “used to think, now I know” moment. Through an encounter with a not-Jewish woman in which Jesus and the woman speak to each other in riddles, Jesus realized that his message of love and justice was not only for the Jewish people, as he “used to think” but was really meant for everyone, everywhere. Knowing that, he went forth with new understanding.

Many of the children were able and willing (which speaks to their comfort with and trust of the group) to share a “used to think, now I know” moment from their own experience. Through the course of our conversation we covered several topics:

• that Jesus the Christmas baby is the same person as Jesus the grown-up man in this and other stories;
• that Jesus the grown-up man “went about doing good” (as Peter said of him) by helping sick people feel better and sad people feel more hopeful;
• that because Jesus often told stories or spoke in riddles in order to teach something people then and now have to think about the story and work out the message for themselves;
• that many of Jesus’s stories told people to be good and kind to everyone, not just the people that they liked, or that looked like them or liked the same things they did, but everyone.

We reviewed Bible stories from the last few weeks, inviting volunteers to act out the story of Moses leading the people out of Egypt and Jacob and Esau quarreling over Isaac’s blessing and later reconciling. I asked the children to begin thinking about which parts of these stories and our conversations they’d like to share with the congregation during the Time with the Children on February 5.

We also had a children’s worship in which we sang hymn #188 Come, Come Whoever You Are, lit our chalice, and observed our sharing ritual which involves placing a stone in a bowl of water. Quite a number of “shares” involved looking forward to that afternoon’s Big Football Game, often including (not surprisingly) a prediction for a hometown win.

We ended our morning together with a special treat of cocoa, conversation and drawing.

This past Sunday the RE children began the morning in the Meeting House. I told the congregation a version of the story of Jacob and Esau, who were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Their story is a long one, and is only part of an even longer story that includes their grandfather, Abraham and Jacob’s sons, Joseph and his brothers. The part we looked into on Sunday was the struggle between Jacob and Esau — to inherit Isaac’s estate, to soak up all their parents’ love, to outshine each other, to “win.”

In the course of their sibling struggles, Jacob stole the blessing Isaac intended to give Esau, then ran far away to escape Esau’s wrath and vow of revenge. Many years later, the brothers met again, Jacob overcoming his fear of Esau in his desire to be reconciled, and Esau “forgetting” his anger out of love for his brother. You can read Rev. Anita’s sermon on this topic, which explores some similar and some different aspects of the story than I did with the children.

When I asked the children what was the most important part of the story, they first focused on the brothers’ relationship: “be nice to your brother.” I pointed out that the story doesn’t tell us that either brother ever apologized, just that they met and were not angry. “You mean Esau just FORGOT about it?” one child demanded. They discussed that idea for a while, whether they would be able to forget such a transgression, whether they would want to, whether forgetting was the only option in this case. They did not reach a conclusion, which puts them in the very good company of centuries of scholars who have (and continue to) debate the meaning of these ancient stories and their implications for modern lives.

We also talked about the idea of “blessing.” What is it? Who can do it? Is it only for something big, or can a blessing be as simple as “good morning”? There were many opinions. Some thought that saying ‘good morning’ or ‘have a nice day’ does nothing; some suggested that it only has an effect on the person who SAYS something like that — “it doesn’t change the other person’s day, but it makes you feel good.” Some thought blessing is like magic.

When we reached the natural end of this discussion the children chose to play some cooperative games rather than do an art project. We played the Name Toss game, Would You Rather, Simon Says and a complicated version of hide and seek that requires patience, working together and trust. Even though this last game was designed for older groups, they showed thoughtfulness and real cooperation, and liked it so well we played it over and over.

Rev Anita and I try, whenever possible, to include similar themes in the “big church” and the “little church”. I hope that posting this recap of RE activities will foster conversations about what we as a congregation did together and separately on Sunday morning.

Plans for the 2011-2012 Religious Education program are shaping up beautifully. The RE Committee formed a small group to choose next year’s RE focus and specific curricula (thank you to Mark Alves and Polly Duxbury for serving on that sub-committee). All the classes will concentrate on UU identity – what is Unitarian Universalism? What are the 7 Principles? Why are they important? Why are they important to me? Each group will consider that question through age-appropriate activities, exploring the 7 Principles, and learning about famous Unitarian Universalists and how they lived their faith.

The preK/K class will spend the fall semester exploring the church (the building, the people and the beliefs) with 12 lessons from Chalice Children. Children will learn that the chalice is the symbol of Unitarian Universalism, will create their own chalice to take home, will explore (literally!) the Meeting House and Parish House, experience some of what the church is for and about (with lessons titled “helping others,” “feeling sad” and “wondering about stars”) and learn about how UUs celebrate the fall holidays with special sessions on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This curriculum includes a variety of activities, including creative “making things,” simple songs, and physical movement. In January this class will participate in the all-church Bible programming and for the spring semester (February – May) will further explore Unitarian Universalist principles, sources and values through 14 Spirit Play stories.

The 1^st – 3^rd grade class will be using the Free to Believe curriculum for the whole year. This curriculum looks at the 7 UU Principles, both the actual words and what they mean, and then the children learn about a famous Unitarian or Universalist (or UU) from our history and how that person lived out the principle in question. This curriculum also includes time to think and express ideas about the Big Questions or life mysteries. It’s designed to include time for creativity, for discussion, for movement, for expression, for meditation.  This class will learn about the Bible along with the rest of the church in January, and will continue with the Free to Believe lessons for the spring semester.

The 4^th – 6^th grade class will go on four “quests” with the curriculum The Questing Year. The 24 lessons in this curriculum also explore the 7 UU Principles, but with more emphasis on exploring what the principles mean to the individual, how they have been lived by famous UUs from history and how they can be lived by modern 9-12 year olds. The four “quests,” the Mystery Quest, the Inner Quest, the Action Quest and the UU Quest, lead participants through the church year and through various activities, with opportunities for physical activity, creativity, contemplation and social action built into the lessons.

Copies of all curricula and sample Spirit Play stories will be available for perusal at the RE table at this week’s coffee hour.

But the kids, as amazing as they are (spiritually and intellectually curious, enthusiastic and always, always smiling) can’t accomplish this important work alone. They need guides – people who have experience living as a UU, learning, growing, seeking, changing. People just like you.

Over this year, I’ve heard several concerns about volunteering to lead Sunday morning Religious Education classes. In response, the Religious Education Committee has adopted a new team-leaders plan for the 2011-2012 church year, and set out a number of ways the classroom leaders will be supported in their efforts.

Each class will be lead by a group of four people who sign up for one semester. Fall semester is September – December, spring semester is February – May. Those four people teach two at a time, in rotation, two weeks in the classroom, two weeks off. For example, on week one person A & person B teach together, week two B & C, week three C & D, week four D & A, and so on. This way,

• no one leader misses more than two weeks of Sunday worship at a time,
• over the course of the fall semester each leader is in the classroom 6 times (spring semester it will be 6 or 7 times),
• the team builds relationships among themselves as well as with the children,
• the children have the benefit of continuity in the classroom,
• the leaders gain confidence and familiarity with the curriculum and the rhythm of the lessons.

Teacher trainings will be offered in the fall, before classes begin, and again in January for the spring semester leaders. In addition, I will meet with each team once a month by the most convenient method – in person, by phone or by email to troubleshoot any issues, offer support, and talk through the next group of lessons.

Because leading class on Sunday morning is a spiritual practice, a brief chalice lighting and moment of reflection will be offered for the teachers at 9:30. This will not last more than 10 minutes so there will still be time to prepare the classroom space and welcome the children.

Leading Sunday morning classes requires preparation. Reading the lesson for the first time in the car on the way to church (although we all know it happens) does not make for a truly rewarding experience for anyone. However, a certain amount of the prep work involves routine tasks, like finding a particular book in the RE library, or cutting out two dozen yellow construction paper circles for an activity.

The RE Committee is recruiting non-classroom volunteers to help with some of that prep work. If the construction paper is cut, the book set out and the art supplies collected by a behind-the-scenes volunteer then the classroom teachers are free to spend their prep time reading and planning, and with two leaders scheduled for each class, the tasks can be divided to take advantage of each person’s strengths. Another advantage is that this prep work can be done at any time during the week, or even by two or more people who enjoy each other’s company, or who would like to get to know one another better, working together.

For those who would like to volunteer for a shorter time span, there are four One-Room Schoolhouse Sundays, which are stand-alone lessons. This year we’ll be learning about famous Unitarians and Universalists from the UU Superheroes curriculum. On these Sundays (holiday weekends) we expect lower-than-usual attendance, and all the RE children experience the same lesson. We’ll need two or three adult/youth leaders to share a story and lead activities. If you sign up for one of these Sundays I can help you develop a lesson on your favorite UU or offer a selection of prepared lessons to choose from.

We also need three or four leaders for the 5-week special unit on the Bible. For the month of January the whole church will focus on the same topic. Plans for this month of programming will take shape as we get into the autumn, but it will certainly be a great opportunity to be involved in the RE program and learn along with the children.

You can sign up (early birds get first choice of age group/semester) or get more information by calling me (508-821-8935, before 10pm for a lucid response) sending me a note (justjill@comcast.net) any time, filling out the insert in this week’s order of service, or coming by the RE table at coffee hour. Would you like to talk to someone who has taught this year or in the past? We can make that happen. Do you have a concern about leading classes that hasn’t been addressed yet? Let me know and I’ll work to find a solution.

First Parish is growing, and so is the RE program. As Rev Anita says, we’re a moving train. Come on board.

On the Sundays that the children begin the morning in the Parish House, our time together includes a 12-15 minute Children’s Worship service. Children’s Worship, separate and distinct from the worship in the Meeting House, serves several purposes, including building community among the children, encouraging faith development through experiencing spirituality, establishing common elements of UU worship as familiar and comfortable, and, not least, practicing appropriate worship behaviors.

Our Children’s Worship follows a familiar plan, with variations. The basic structure remains the same from week to week, which provides ritual and stability. Within the framework variations allow us to explore different themes, try different ways to worship, and maintain interest and participation.

The basic framework:

Opening Hymn: #361 Enter, Rejoice and Come In (voices & rhythm instruments)

Opening Words: brief statement of today’s theme

Chalice Lighting

Story or Responsive Reading

Spoken Meditation or Silent Meditation

Time for Sharing

Message/Closing Words

Extinguishing the Chalice

Closing Hymn

Rev. Anita and I talk about the worship themes ahead of time, and often the topic addressed in the Children’s Worship is related to or somehow coordinates with the theme of the Meeting House worship.

Already this year we’ve read some wonderful books, both during our “time with the children” in the Meeting House and during our classes in the Parish House. We even read one book in the Memorial Garden so we could enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.

I thought it might be interesting and helpful to know what we’ve been reading. Links are included so you can see the cover, which will help you find it later, if you wish, at the library or your local bookstore.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow, helped us talk about joy. Despite a move to a new school (far from her wise Granny) and encountering the unpleasant and unwelcoming Ronald Durkin, Molly Lou goes right on being who she is, cheerfully making new friends and eventually winning over the reluctant Ronald.

Henry Hikes To Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson is just one of this author/illustrator’s books exploring the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau. In this story Henry and his friend plan to go to Fitchburg to see the country, but Henry decides to walk and his friend decides to work to earn money to take the train. Discussing the consequences of their different choices helped us realize that each person has to make the choice that is right for him or her, and that every choice has both advantages and disadvantages. Before we read this story we explored the outdoors (in our case, the Green) with magnifying glasses, binoculars and notebooks, just like Henry does on his walk to Fitchburg.

We read All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant with cut-paper illustrations by Nikki McClure during the Columbus Day weekend service led by Bev Burgess. This book feels to me like a beautiful poem encouraging us all to make the most of each day but not to be afraid to seek comfort and even start over if something unexpected happens. I especially love the closeness that’s evident between the boy and the adult figures, and of course the friendship between the boy and the chicken.

Earth Day: An Alphabet Book by Gary Kowalski, illustrated by Rocco Baviera is published by the UUA’s Skinner House Books. This lovely and beautifully illustrated alphabetical list of some of Earth’s treasures is really a prayer of thanksgiving, and that is how we used it, taking turns reading and feeling grateful for the richness of our world.

And, last but definitely not least, The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway. The intrepid residents of Itching Down respond to a wasp invasion with good humor, creativity and teamwork. In the end they get rid of the wasps and enjoy a great party. We get excellent, rollicking, rhyming text, wacky and memorable illustrations, and a very UU message. This is an oldie but goodie; the only drawback to it may be the repeated requests to read it again.