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| Eleanor (Boo) O'Neill, acolyting at our All Saints' Sunday All-Age Eucharist, with the banner made by our children at our All Saints' Family Day on Saturday. It shows St. George, our patron. Each year, we'll make one more banner of a saint, so each year the "cloud of witnesses" we carry in procession with us on All Saints' Day is greater! |
Monday, 31 October 2011
Happy All Saints' Day (Eve)!
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Bread!
A few parents have requested this recipe, so here it is.
This is the bread we bake together on all our Family Days, and sometimes at other occasions such as Harvest, Holy Week, etc. Bread can symbolise the Body of Christ, the lifegiving death of the fruits of the harvest (a natural metaphor for the Body of Christ!), and our communal life together.
It's virtually foolproof - even if the water is too hot and the yeast doesn't proof as well as it should, and it doesn't really rise, as happened at our All Saints' Family Day yesterday, it still tastes good!
2 cups warm water
1 package yeast
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey (use the same measuring cup, right after the oil - the honey will slide right out of it!)
2 teaspoons salt
Flour (as much as is needed to turn it to dough - about seven cups - and more for kneading and shaping)
Mix the ingredients together, and then knead. Set the dough to rise for at least two hours, in a warm, moist place.
Punch the risen dough down, and cover a workplace with flour. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough. The dough can then be shaped - encourage children to think of an appropriate shape for the occasion.
When you've shaped the dough, set it to rise again, then brush it with egg or oil, and bake. Smaller sculptures can bake in about 20 minutes at 190C, while larger ones may take up to 45.
Here are some examples of how you can shape the dough (these are my own work, not kids' work).
This is the bread we bake together on all our Family Days, and sometimes at other occasions such as Harvest, Holy Week, etc. Bread can symbolise the Body of Christ, the lifegiving death of the fruits of the harvest (a natural metaphor for the Body of Christ!), and our communal life together.
It's virtually foolproof - even if the water is too hot and the yeast doesn't proof as well as it should, and it doesn't really rise, as happened at our All Saints' Family Day yesterday, it still tastes good!
2 cups warm water
1 package yeast
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey (use the same measuring cup, right after the oil - the honey will slide right out of it!)
2 teaspoons salt
Flour (as much as is needed to turn it to dough - about seven cups - and more for kneading and shaping)
Mix the ingredients together, and then knead. Set the dough to rise for at least two hours, in a warm, moist place.
Punch the risen dough down, and cover a workplace with flour. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough. The dough can then be shaped - encourage children to think of an appropriate shape for the occasion.
When you've shaped the dough, set it to rise again, then brush it with egg or oil, and bake. Smaller sculptures can bake in about 20 minutes at 190C, while larger ones may take up to 45.
Here are some examples of how you can shape the dough (these are my own work, not kids' work).
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| An angel, at Christmas. |
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| A sheaf of wheat, at Easter. |
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| At first glance, this looks like a bunny, but it's actually Jonah and the whale.. The ear-like structures are the whale's tail. Jonah is visible at the far right, being spat out. |
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
If Jesus had had MY job, the Gospels might look like THIS.
I first published this on my personal blog almost a year ago, and it still rings true, so I thought I'd share it with you!
* * * * * *
And it came to pass that it was Tuesday, and the Toddler Craft Group did meet in the Community Space. So Jesus went forth to the community space, and he did set up the paint and the glitter and the clay and the toys and the tea and the coffee and the biscuits and the banana. And the toddlers came unto the community space with their nannies and their mothers, and they did stick their hands in the paint and create an enormous mess. And Jesus did bless the children, saying, "that is exactly the point of this craft group, but my goodness, it doth make a mess."
And the toddlers sat in a circle, with their nannies and their mothers, and they did sing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "This Little Light of Mine," and they did play upon the rattles and the bells and the castanets. And the nannies and the mothers helped with the clean-up as best they could, but soon after, they departed, back to their own homes. And Jesus did then have to take DOWN the paint and the glitter and the clay and the toys and the tea and the coffee and the biscuits and the banana, and return the Community Space to the condition wherein he had found it. And he did cry out, "O Lord, why didst thou make paint so difficult to remove from teacups???" This was to fulfill the prophecy, as it was written, "my servant shall be covered in paint, yea, even up to his very elbows. But I will rejoice in him and make him great and shall give unto him the last Jaffa Cake to reward him for his tribulations."
Soon after, it was a Sunday morning, and Jesus did approach the Central Line, to go from Leyton to Notting Hill Gate. And lo, there were delays upon the Central Line, both upon its eastbound trains and upon its westbound trains. And Jesus did arrive at Notting Hill Gate, and lo, there were many tourists. And the crowd of tourists pressed upon Jesus as he approached the escalator, and Jesus' disciples said to him, "Master, why do you not curse these tourists, for they are blocking the escalator?" And Jesus said, "Truly, I say unto you, these tourists are as lost lambs. For they are not Londoners and they do not know that you are supposed to stand on the right of the escalator and leave the left side free for people to walk past." And then God sent an impatient woman with a toddler to the escalator, and she spoke out against the tourists, and the tourists did part and let the woman with the toddler through upon the left side of the escalator. And Jesus did follow her, and pass up the escalator on dry land.
As it was approaching the feast of February Half-Term, the twelve Sunday School teachers did say unto Jesus, "behold - half-term draws near, and we must withdraw to the Swiss Alps or the Canary Islands for a holiday with our families." And Jesus did look at the Sunday School rota and did despair, for the last Sunday of Half-Term was empty. And one Sunday School teacher said to Jesus, "Master, I am not going to the Swiss Alps or the Canary Islands, so I shall take upon myself the burden of teaching that Sunday." And Jesus said, "behold, this Sunday School teacher is a true son of Abraham, and has brought salvation this day. For blessed are they who volunteer when everyone else is away on holiday, somewhere sunny, with little fruit cocktails and warm sand, while we remain behind to freeze and get rained upon and suffer yet more delays on the Central Line."
This is the word of the Lord.
* * * * * *
And it came to pass that it was Tuesday, and the Toddler Craft Group did meet in the Community Space. So Jesus went forth to the community space, and he did set up the paint and the glitter and the clay and the toys and the tea and the coffee and the biscuits and the banana. And the toddlers came unto the community space with their nannies and their mothers, and they did stick their hands in the paint and create an enormous mess. And Jesus did bless the children, saying, "that is exactly the point of this craft group, but my goodness, it doth make a mess."
And the toddlers sat in a circle, with their nannies and their mothers, and they did sing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "This Little Light of Mine," and they did play upon the rattles and the bells and the castanets. And the nannies and the mothers helped with the clean-up as best they could, but soon after, they departed, back to their own homes. And Jesus did then have to take DOWN the paint and the glitter and the clay and the toys and the tea and the coffee and the biscuits and the banana, and return the Community Space to the condition wherein he had found it. And he did cry out, "O Lord, why didst thou make paint so difficult to remove from teacups???" This was to fulfill the prophecy, as it was written, "my servant shall be covered in paint, yea, even up to his very elbows. But I will rejoice in him and make him great and shall give unto him the last Jaffa Cake to reward him for his tribulations."
Soon after, it was a Sunday morning, and Jesus did approach the Central Line, to go from Leyton to Notting Hill Gate. And lo, there were delays upon the Central Line, both upon its eastbound trains and upon its westbound trains. And Jesus did arrive at Notting Hill Gate, and lo, there were many tourists. And the crowd of tourists pressed upon Jesus as he approached the escalator, and Jesus' disciples said to him, "Master, why do you not curse these tourists, for they are blocking the escalator?" And Jesus said, "Truly, I say unto you, these tourists are as lost lambs. For they are not Londoners and they do not know that you are supposed to stand on the right of the escalator and leave the left side free for people to walk past." And then God sent an impatient woman with a toddler to the escalator, and she spoke out against the tourists, and the tourists did part and let the woman with the toddler through upon the left side of the escalator. And Jesus did follow her, and pass up the escalator on dry land.
As it was approaching the feast of February Half-Term, the twelve Sunday School teachers did say unto Jesus, "behold - half-term draws near, and we must withdraw to the Swiss Alps or the Canary Islands for a holiday with our families." And Jesus did look at the Sunday School rota and did despair, for the last Sunday of Half-Term was empty. And one Sunday School teacher said to Jesus, "Master, I am not going to the Swiss Alps or the Canary Islands, so I shall take upon myself the burden of teaching that Sunday." And Jesus said, "behold, this Sunday School teacher is a true son of Abraham, and has brought salvation this day. For blessed are they who volunteer when everyone else is away on holiday, somewhere sunny, with little fruit cocktails and warm sand, while we remain behind to freeze and get rained upon and suffer yet more delays on the Central Line."
This is the word of the Lord.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Prayer with children part II.
I've experimented with different forms of intercession when praying with children, and I've found the following to be very effective (with instructions beforehand that children can pray out loud or in their hearts). The children don't often say prayers out loud, but they get very intent and quiet and focused.
It introduces the different types of prayer, as well as broadly following the structure of the intercessions that happen in church.
You can add "Lord in your mercy / Hear our prayer" or "Lord, hear us / Lord., graciously hear us" between each petition if you like.
If there's anything you want to say thank you for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything you want to say sorry for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything that's making you scared, or worried, or sad, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything you want to ask God's help for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anybody you know who is ill, or having a problem, you can remember their name before God, knowing that he will give them strength and help.
And if there's anybody you know - a grandparent, a parent, a friend, a pet, or anyone else - who has died, you can remember their name before God, knowing that he has given them new life in his kingdom, where they will live forever, where there is no sadness or pain or death, and where God himself will wipe away all tears from our eyes.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
It introduces the different types of prayer, as well as broadly following the structure of the intercessions that happen in church.
You can add "Lord in your mercy / Hear our prayer" or "Lord, hear us / Lord., graciously hear us" between each petition if you like.
If there's anything you want to say thank you for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything you want to say sorry for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything that's making you scared, or worried, or sad, you can bring it to God.
If there's anything you want to ask God's help for, you can bring it to God.
If there's anybody you know who is ill, or having a problem, you can remember their name before God, knowing that he will give them strength and help.
And if there's anybody you know - a grandparent, a parent, a friend, a pet, or anyone else - who has died, you can remember their name before God, knowing that he has given them new life in his kingdom, where they will live forever, where there is no sadness or pain or death, and where God himself will wipe away all tears from our eyes.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Monday, 3 October 2011
The sacrifice of Isaac.
We're doing the story of the sacrifice of Isaac in Sunday School this week. It raises the difficult question many Sunday School leaders struggle with - which scary parts of the Bible to present to children, and which to hide. I have the impulse to present only the stories that are easy to understand, only the ones that present God as loving and kind, the ones in which no anti-Semitism could be implied, the ones which have not been seized upon by the Religious Right as their property and theirs alone. And I know that I can't give in to that impulse.
Because to take out the scary stuff and the hard stuff means that we're left with a story that has no power, but rather a pre-digested piece of feel-good mush, which our kids will rightly reject. I know this, theoretically, and am comfortable with it around the stories of the crucifixion, the prophesies of the Coming Kingdom, and the story of the Exodus. But with some of the lesser-known stories, I debate whether to include them at all, and if so, which details to include (is it enough that Esther saves her people, or should Haman be hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai? Usually I go with the latter, but I always look at the most sensitive child in my group and wonder if I'm doing the right thing).
We have a window in our church of the sacrifice of Isaac. For Christians, it prefigures the passion of Christ - God spared Abraham's son but did not flinch from offering his own. It has a potent place in our cultural imagination, and to leave it out would deprive children of a crucial part of the story of the patriarchs.
But it's fraught with difficulties. How far do you go? Do you give five-year-old children the image of a parent standing over a beloved child, wielding a knife? Will they process it in the safe, healthy way they process gruesome images from fairy tales (wolf swallows granny) or in the possibly terrifying way they process news stories that scare them? Which details am I editing out for the sake of the children, and which am I editing out in my squeamishness? Am I scared of offending parents if I don't sanitise all the scary bits out of the Bible, and do I give into that desire to the detriment of the kids?
I don't have the answers. My general rule of thumb is to ask, "what does this story contribute to the story of salvation, the overall arc of the Bible?" and then use that to decide a) whether to include it in our curriculum this year, and b) which parts of it are most important. But I'd be interested to hear from others how you handle this issue.
Because to take out the scary stuff and the hard stuff means that we're left with a story that has no power, but rather a pre-digested piece of feel-good mush, which our kids will rightly reject. I know this, theoretically, and am comfortable with it around the stories of the crucifixion, the prophesies of the Coming Kingdom, and the story of the Exodus. But with some of the lesser-known stories, I debate whether to include them at all, and if so, which details to include (is it enough that Esther saves her people, or should Haman be hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai? Usually I go with the latter, but I always look at the most sensitive child in my group and wonder if I'm doing the right thing).
We have a window in our church of the sacrifice of Isaac. For Christians, it prefigures the passion of Christ - God spared Abraham's son but did not flinch from offering his own. It has a potent place in our cultural imagination, and to leave it out would deprive children of a crucial part of the story of the patriarchs.
But it's fraught with difficulties. How far do you go? Do you give five-year-old children the image of a parent standing over a beloved child, wielding a knife? Will they process it in the safe, healthy way they process gruesome images from fairy tales (wolf swallows granny) or in the possibly terrifying way they process news stories that scare them? Which details am I editing out for the sake of the children, and which am I editing out in my squeamishness? Am I scared of offending parents if I don't sanitise all the scary bits out of the Bible, and do I give into that desire to the detriment of the kids?
I don't have the answers. My general rule of thumb is to ask, "what does this story contribute to the story of salvation, the overall arc of the Bible?" and then use that to decide a) whether to include it in our curriculum this year, and b) which parts of it are most important. But I'd be interested to hear from others how you handle this issue.
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