Marlene’s Stamp Album
Did you know that there are 43 famous American Unitarian Universalists and at least 4 Canadian UUs who are honored on postage stamps? In The UU Kids Book, by Brotman Marshfield, CLFer Marlene Powell learned about these stamps and decided to start her own collection. But she had an idea to make the collection even more interesting. On each page of her album Marlene wrote a paragraph or two describing the person on the stamp — what she or he believed in and did that made them famous. Here is an example from Marlene’s album.
There are several ways to start a collection. Each stamp ever issued has an official number. You can find the numbers for the famous UU stamps in the UU Kids Book or write me at CLF and I’ll send you the list. Once you know a stamp’s number you can order it from the Scott Catalogue,(usually found in libraries), or from a local dealer. Have fun!
What makes something religious?
Goal:
To understand shared components of different religions and make a comparative analysis of local churches, temples, other places of worship.
Activities:
1. Design your own religion
Give each family member a copy of "If I Were a Founder." If you have a large group, you could break into two smaller groups and create 2 religions. If not, answer them as a whole group.
On a separate sheet of paper make three columns. Title them: Beliefs, Values, Practices. Present at least 2 examples of how beliefs, values and practices are related. For instance, if I say “I value the earth as the source of life,” the earth is an example of something I value. (Write “the earth” in the value column.) Is it also an example of a belief? Yes, a belief in the earth as the source of life. (Write “earth is the source of life” in the belief column.) What are some things I might do as a person who believes the earth is a source of life and who values the earth? I might plant a garden, or help at the recycle center. (Write “planting” in the practices column.) In other words, “I believe the earth is the source of life; I value the earth, therefore I practice care of the earth.” Here’s another example: I believe that God is a loving force in the world. I value love. I practice loving myself and others by being kind, honest and caring. A belief often points to a value. A practice often reveals both a value and a belief.
All religions have these 3 components. Look at the religion your family “founded.” What are some of the beliefs, values and practices of your newly created religion?
2. Compare area churches
Find a list of churches, temples, and synagogues in your area. (The Yellow Pages are a good place to start.) Decide which ones you’d like to visit and learn more about. Using a chart like the Sample Comparative Faiths Chart make a graph with the churches you want to visit on the vertical axis and the things you want to look for on the horizontal axis. Fill in the graph as you visit different places of worship. A good source book for visiting other churches is How To Be a Perfect Stranger. Look for it in your local library.
What is Advent?
"An Advent Celebration" by Joan Goodwin
Goal:
To learn about this Christian tradition and develop one of your own.
Materials:
Advent Calendar Pattern—enlarged—one for each child
Cardboard or poster board
List of Activities—use these or make up your own!
Red construction paper cut into 24 1 _” squares. Number the squares 1 – 24 in bold numbers in the center of the square. Each calendar will need 24 squares
Crayons, markers, stickers for decorating.
Preparation:
Read Background from Special Times
Read through various advent activities and choose one or two to try.
Activities:
Daily Activities Advent Calendar:
Cut out the advent wreath pattern and glue it to cardboard or poster board. Color it green.
Give each child a set of 24 squares. Position the squares on the corresponding numbers on the advent calendar. Glue three sides of each square to form a pocket. After the pockets are dried, decorate them or the wreath with stickers.
Cut the list of activities into thin strips. Fold them so they’ll fit in the pockets. Insert them in the numbered pockets. (If you want the activities to be a surprise, you could do this part later.)
Each day of Advent, take an activity out of the pocket to do that day.
Celebrating Advent in Your Family
An Advent Celebration, by Joan Goodwin
Our Christian Heritage
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Baptist and a Methodist? A Presbyterian and a Lutheran? What is the United Church of Christ and why do some UU churches have the word "Congregational" in them? These are just a few of the questions which UU children (and not a few adults!) often ask about "the church across the street." In this issue of Connections I’d like to focus on Christianity—its history, its relationship to UUism and the differences and similarities between various Christian churches.
Things to look for as you visit other churches:
What religious symbols do you see in the church?
Who participates in the service?
What is the arrangement of the altar end of the church?
How are the churches and services the same? How do they differ?
To understand where we are today it is helpful to know where we have come from. So I begin with a condensed history of the evolution of Christianity and the births of various sects (including UUism) along the way. Visiting other churches is a great way for children to learn the similarities and differences in today’s Christian churches. From , a Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship curriculum, I have reprinted lists of things to look for in various Christian churches and services. Locate these churches in your area and take family field trips to as many as possible. If you would like to pursue this topic in greater depth, ask to borrow How Others Worship from the CLF Loan Library.
The Old Story of Salvation
At the center of the unfolding drama of Christianity lies the Old Story of Salvation. This early Christian conception of the history of humankind and the meaning of life on earth is at the heart of all the twists and turns taken throughout the ages, resulting in today’s wide range of Christian sects.
The story, as written by Augustine in the 5th century, is known as The Seven Great Ages of Time. It is the story of humankind’s repeated failure to live up to the standards of righteousness which God originally set for his creatures. Following the original sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden (which marked the end of the First Great Age of Time), God intervened five times to give humans another chance at salvation. First Noah, then Abraham, Moses, and King David were all sent by God to lead humankind to righteousness. But each time the evil nature of humanity prevailed.
God could not let these sins go unpunished, yet his love for his creatures was great. He concluded that in order to save humanity someone must be punished whose value is greater than the value of all humanity. That someone was his only son. And so, in the Sixth Great Age of Time, God’s son humbled himself and was sent to earth in human form, to die as ransom for all human sins.
We are now in the Seventh Great Age of Time, waiting for the Son of God to return to earth to establish and rule over all the nations of the world. When he returns, peace will reign for a thousand years and then the Day of Judgment will come. All people, dead and living, will come before God to be judged on the basis of their lives on earth. Those who believed in Jesus as Savior, and were baptized to wash away sin, would be granted eternal happiness in heaven. Those who were disobedient and did not receive the pardon of their sins through the sacrifice of Jesus will be condemned to everlasting punishment. The Great Day of Judgment will end the Seventh Great Age of Time and eternity will begin.
The First Controversy
You will recognize the first five ages of time as found in the Old Testament and belonging to the Jewish faith. Following Jesus’ death, the Jews were divided on the issue of Jesus’ divinity. While some remained monotheistic, rejecting the notion of God in two parts (God the father and God the Son), others, led by Paul and Peter, believed that Jesus was Savior to all humankind—Jews, Romans, Greeks, rich, poor, master or slave. These latter followers of Jesus, the earliest "Christians," were persecuted and feared by the Roman rulers or these inclusive, democratic ideas.
In the Lutheran Church:
Is there an eternal light?
What function do the acolytes perform?
Many Lutheran churches are predominantly German or Scandinavian. Does this congregation seem to have a common background?
The service contains a statement of Affirmation of Faith. What is it called?
What do the words Psalmody and Kyrie mean?
But the simple, humble Christian church was soon to undergo radical change. In 313 AD the Emperor of Rome, Constantine, declared himself to be a Christian. Although Constantine originally called for religious freedom, power corrupted that ideal, and soon Christianity became an absolute spiritual monarchy, with the pope as spiritual leader. The Roman Catholic Church was born. Church organization and government became hierarchical and complex with strict laws and creedal statements which church members were required to believe.
In a Roman Catholic Church:
What season of the church calendar is being celebrated?
What is the main color used in the service during this season?
What special apparel is worn by the clergy during the mass?
Is the Eucharist a part of the service? At what point in the mass does it occur?
In what language is the mass celebrated?
The first to rebel against the power of this religious system was the Bishop of Constantinople in 1054. He rejected the infallibility of the pope and was himself excommunicated from the Roman Church. And so the Greek Orthodox, or Eastern Catholic Church was formed.
Protestant Reformation
About 500 years later, in the early 16th century, the protestant reformation began with "people who protested" either some part of the Old Story of Salvation or some part of the hierarchy of church government. The first great leader of this reformation was Martin Luther (1483-1546), founder of the Lutheran Church.
Luther was an Augustine friar at the University of Wittenberg when he challenged the selling of "indulgences," special certificates sold by the pope to guarantee absolution of sins and happiness in heaven. Luther claimed that women and men did not have to do "good works," or celebrate the sacraments, or give money in order to be saved. He believed salvation was a free gift and available to all who have faith. Luther also believed that each person has access to God and that the pope, bishops and cardinals of the Roman church were not necessary. Luther was excommunicated in 1520 and barely escaped with his life.
Luther lived to see a strong reformation taking place in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. One of his followers was a young Frenchman named John Calvin (1509—1564). Persecuted in France for his outspokenness, Calvin retreated to Switzerland where he wrote his famous treatise, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. The basic tenets of Calvinism are: the sinfulness of man, the ultimate authority of the Bible, and predestination—salvation of some and damnation of others. In this latter belief he deviated markedly from Luther.
Calvin tried to turn Geneva Switzerland into the City of God. He set forth strict rules to be followed by all Christians and actually encouraged spying on one’s neighbor and reporting misconduct. Church services were austere and filled with foreboding. It was believed that the poor, the weak, or simply the unsuccessful were those predestined for damnation. Therefore all believers worked hard and lived serious, pious lives—constantly in fear of being revealed as one of the damned.
One of Calvin’s greatest supporters, John Knox, was a Scot living in exile in Switzerland . After the reign of Scotland’s Catholic Queen Mary, Protestantism was again allowed in Scotland and Knox returned hoping to set up a society similar to Calvin’s City of God. The result of his efforts was the establishment of the Presbyterian Church as the official state church of Scotland.
In the late sixteenth century Scottish Presbyterians were sent into Ireland to occupy the land of the rebellious Irish Catholics who refused allegiance to the Anglican Church. But the hostilities of the angry Catholics drove many Presbyterians across the ocean to America where Presbyterian churches flourished in every colony.
Calvin was ruthless in his treatment of reformers who did not agree with him. One such reformer was Michael Sevetus (1511—1553), a Spaniard who was raised Roman Catholic during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. When in college Sevetus read the Bible for the first time on his own and decided that the Trinity was something made up by the church and not supported in the Bible. He came to believe that Jesus was more like a man and became the son of God because of the quality of his life. His writings were banned everywhere in Europe and he was eventually arrested and burned at the stake by Calvin in 1553. To this day, Sevetus is considered a martyr of religious freedom and one of the "fathers" of Unitarianism.
Although it is not known when the word "Unitarian" was first applied to those who believed in the unity (as opposed to the trinity) of God, the sixteenth century saw growth of this movement in many European countries. For a time Unitarians were the majority in Poland. In Transylvania (Hungary and Rumania) King Sigismund was converted to Unitarianism by Francis David and it was proclaimed the state religion. England was home to many of these freedom loving reformers, as were (understandably) the new American colonies.
In the Episcopal Church:
Is the Eucharist part of the service?
What are some of the differences between the Roman Catholic and Episcopal services? (Notice the choir. Where do they sit, what are they wearing? What part do they have in the service? Are there any women clergy?)
What prayer book is used?
During this same period, Henry VIII was ruler of England. He was married to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and a devote Roman Catholic. For centuries the English clergy had been in conflict with the Roman Catholic authorities. This conflict escalated when Henry wanted to divorce Catherine because she did not produce a son. Divorce was illegal in the Roman Catholic church so Henry empowered his Archbishop to declare a separation with the church and name him as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
After Henry’s death the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, set about to complete three major reforms: 1. hold church services in English instead of Latin, 2. state the beliefs of the church in a creedal form, and 3. state the laws by which the church and the morals of the people should be governed. The Book of Common Prayer was written and in it were significant deviations from Catholicism. All prayers for the dead in purgatory were eliminated, as were all references to the Holy Mother of God.
The Communion ritual was changed so that people partake of bread and wine in remembrance that Christ died for them, not as body and blood of Christ. And so the Anglican Church was born. When Anglican churches in America later became independent of the mother church in England, they took the name Protestant Episcopal.
Soon Anglican church members became disillusioned with various requirements of ritual and conformity much the same way as earlier reformers of the Catholic church had. Robert Browne (1550—1631) led the Congregational movement, so-called because the congregation governed its own affairs according to its own interpretation of the Bible, not the word of the bishops or the Queen. The sermon took on great importance because it was there that the interpretation and understanding of the Bible was given.
In the Baptist Church:
Notice differences in ritual, clothing worn by clergy, congregational participation, references to the Bible, focus of the service.
In the Methodist Church:
Methodism was founded on evangelism. Is there any trace of this religious zeal in the service?
How do members of the congregation participate in the service?
Does the congregation recite the Apostles’ Creed?
It was the Bible itself, not any church hierarchy, which took prominence in the reform movement’s search for truth and authority. And no where in the Bible, said John Bunyan (1628—1688) is there mention of baptism of babies. Baptism, Bunyan claimed, marks the beginning of one’s Christian life—a committing of oneself to Christ which can only be done by a consenting adult. In the Anglican and Catholic churches baptism is considered a sacrament, not a symbol of commitment. The Baptists were against all sacramental acts, which they considered to be "forms without spirit." As this thinking suggests, traditional Baptists were great believers in freedom of faith, freedom that was bound only by loyalty to the scriptures. Later, conservative (or fundamentalist) Baptists declared belief in the truth of all statements of scripture as fundamental to the very existence of true Christianity. In these five essentials of fundamental Baptist faith you may recognize the Old Story of Salvation: 1. virgin birth of Jesus, 2. physical resurrection of Jesus, 3. inerrancy of the Bible, 4. substitutionary atonement (Jesus died as ransom for all humankind’s sins) and 5. truth of miracles recorded in the Bible.
Another reform movement, which was to become very popular with the pioneers of America, was the Methodist movement, led by John Wesley (1703-1791) and named for its unique method or approach to religious services. As a missionary Anglican minister Wesley traveled to the new colony of Georgia where he failed to reach the Indians and Colonists with the ritual and ceremony of the Anglican church. On his travels he was inspired by the strength and courage of his fellow travelers who were German Lutherans. When he returned to England he had an "awakening" that Christ alone was his savior. He and his brother Charles began to travel the English countryside holding outdoor services and spreading the "good news" of salvation to all who cared to listen.
This method of preaching, and the services themselves which were filled with extreme emotionalism and spirited singing, caused great controversy but also gained much support. The Wesley brothers traveled on foot or horseback conducting these first "evangelical revivals" in fields any time of the day or week, providing worship to literally thousands of country folk. Both the method and the message of Methodism took root quickly in the American colonies where Methodist "circuit riders" fed the pioneer spirit with the message of God’s free love and humankind’s free will.
One of John Wesley’s followers was John Murray, whose doctrine of universal salvation was to later become the foundation of the Universalist Church. Murray found no evidence in the Bible for the idea that some people are destined for eternal damnation while others will be saved. This was considered dangerous heresy to the Presbyterians, for without fear of hell there was no motive for living a good life. Murray escaped to America where he hoped to quit preaching. Instead, he was rescued by a man who was "waiting" for a minister to appear who would lead their small congregation. Murray accepted the position and began freely preaching his doctrine of universal salvation.
The movement grew and in 1791 the first national convention of the Universalist Church was held in New Jersey. Many eloquent preachers followed Murray in America, notably Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), a farmer from New Hampshire, whose clear reasoning and effective preaching converted many to both Unitarian and Universalist beliefs. Ballou denounced the trinity as strongly as he affirmed universal salvation and regretted that some of his Unitarian colleagues could not give up the notion of eternal damnation and join the Universalists. Ballou’s premature vision was finally realized in 1961 with the Unitarian Universalist merger.
Change has continued to be constant for most Christian faiths. Issues which originally sparked various reform movements have faded, and many Protestant churches have united to form the United Church of Christ. Each UCC church is locally governed and has the right to decide upon its creed or statement of faith, if the membership elects to use one.
Why do we have funerals?
Goal:
To better understand the reason for death rituals.
Preparation:
1. Locate one of the following books in your local library:
• The Happy Funeral by Eve Bunting
• Grandpa’s Slide Show by Deborah Gould
• Saying Good-bye to Grandma by Jane Resh Thomas
2. Read background information from Lessons of Loss on different religious and cultural beliefs and practices regarding the afterlife and rituals for mourning, including a section on UU beliefs and theology.
Activities:
• Read your selected book.
• Use the questions below to stimulate discussion.
• Summarize by saying that many people find it difficult to accept the reality of a death, especially when the deceased is much beloved and significant in the mourner’s life. However, death rituals, such as wakes, funerals, and sitting Shiva (a Jewish tradition), help to make the death more real and to enable the mourner to adjust to a world in which the deceased is physically not present. Use material from the background information as appropriate to your situation.
Questions for discussion:
The Happy Funeral
• How does Laura’s family prepare for the funeral?
• What happens at the funeral home?
• How does Laura feel as she attends her grandfather’s funeral?
• What rituals are included in the funeral?
• What do you think the family gains from holding a funeral?
Grandpa’s Slide Show
• Why do people bring food to the house after Grandpa dies?
• Why does Dad say that at the funeral, “we’ll need to act calm”? What happens there? How do people react?
• What happens after the funeral?
• What do Sam and Douglas learn about attending a funeral?
Saying Good-bye to Grandma
• How did Suzie feel about seeing her grandmother’s body at the wake? What was it like when she got there?
• What happened during the funeral?
• Where did Suzie and her family go after the funeral service?
• Why did everyone go back to the church for dinner?
• How do you think Suzie felt at the end of the day? Do you think she was glad she went to the funeral? Why or why not?
What is meditation? What does “spiritual” mean?
& On the Path by the UUA
Goal:
to develop an understanding of spiritual discipline that includes community worship, quiet meditation or prayer, and physical activity.
Background:
Introduce the concept of spiritual discipline with this explanation from On the Path:
“A spiritual discipline is a way that you organize yourself to be open and available to your own spirituality on a regular basis. Spirituality is an experience of a depth dimension to life—beyond the physical, the obvious, the provable, and the universally shared. It involves the relationship between one’s being and the universe. Discipline means that you choose to explore the spiritual part of yourself, and you choose to do this regularly—every day, every week, or on some other regular basis. When you work with a spiritual discipline, you do this activity, whatever it is, not just when you feel like it, but according to whatever agreement you’ve made with yourself. Whether or not you feel like it at that moment, you still go ahead, you do this activity, whatever it is, not just when you feel like it, but according to whatever agreement you’ve made with yourself. Whether or not you feel like it at that moment, you still go ahead with the activity.”
For UUs, the most common spiritual practice is collective worship. The common elements of worship are: sacred space, opening words, chalice lighting, music, sermon, prayer or meditation, and closing words.
Other common forms of spiritual practice for UUs include physical exercises (yoga, running), or ascetic practices like fasting, journal writing, or meditation.
Also Read: Statements About Spirituality
Activities: Choose one or more these activities to give yourselves an experience of meditative practice.
• Meditative Nature Walk
• Guided Meditation
• Mindfulness Exercise
The Road to Olelpanti
In the far-off beginning before there were any Indians living. there was another and very different race of men on the earth. For thousands of years this first race of men had been living together peacefully and happily. But as their numbers multiplied and the earth became crowded, these first people began to quarrel and fight. And Olelbis-The-Great-0ne-Who-Sits-Above-the Sky–decided something must be done.
This is what he did. He turned the people one by one into other kinds of living creatures. Some he turned into trees and follow others he turned into birds and insects, and still others into land animals and fish. You might say only a handful of people were left. And all of these were old people who would soon die. Among them was Sedit, the Coyote man. The earth in time grew very beautiful with green grassy plains and wooded hills and rivers, where animals of all kinds and birds and fish lived without fear of human hunters.
But Olelbis The-Great-One-Who-Sits-Above-the-Sky-was lonely without human beings on his world. So he thought out a new plan. He would create a new race of men. He would make the first man and woman come out of the first tree he had made. This time he wanted people to learn to live together happily and peacefully. How could he help them? Perhaps if he made them immortal they would be happy, he thought. "I will make them so that they will never have to die."
So Olelbis called the two Brothers Hus who lived with him in his beautiful Sky Land of Olelpanti and said to them: "Brothers Hus, I have a great work for you to do. Fly down to the world below where the first tree is growing. Soon I shall cause men and women to come forth out of that tree to live on the earth. But before this happens, you must build a road leading from the earth to Olelpanti. Gather great stones from the hillside and pile them one upon the other like steps leading up to the sky."
"For what purpose do you wish so great a work done, Olelbis?" asked the Brothers Hus.
"It is because I wish that the new race of men, whom I am about to bring forth from the ground, should never have to die. I desire that when they grow old they may be able to renew their youth. I shall, therefore, place two springs at the top of the road that you build, so that when a man grows old, he may climb up this road; and when he reaches the top, he may drink out of one spring and bathe in the other spring. Then his white hair will become dark again and his bent and crippled body will become strong and straight. If an old woman climbs up the road and drinks of the one spring and bathes in the other, she will come out a beautiful young girl. When these people grow old a second time, they may climb they road again and return young and strong to live anew. So shall the men of the earth live on and on forever."
When Olelbis finished speaking, the Brothers Hus said, "We will do as you have commanded us." So they gathered their tools, and spreading their wings they flew down to the earth to begin the work of building the road of stones.
By the end of the first day, they had piled the stones as high as a house. By the end of the second day, the road was as high as a tall tree. By the end of the third day, it was very high indeed. By the end of the sixth day, the road was touching the clouds. Yet it was still a long way from Olelpanti, and there was much more work to do.
A little before noon on the sixth day, as the Brothers Hus were working, they saw someone walking toward the beginning of the long road. He finally reached the place and sat down beside the road to watch the Brothers as they worked. They knew it was Sedit, the Coyote man, but they said nothing.
"What are you doing here?" Sedit finally asked. "Why are you building this road? It is a great deal of work, and does not seem to be leading anywhere. Can you tell me what it is that you are doing?"
"Olelbis has commanded us to build this road," said one of the Brothers. "Olelbis is planning to make a new race of men come out of the earth. Before he does, he wishes to have a road built reaching from the world to Olelpanti. At the top of the road Olelbis will place two springs."
"That seems strange," objected Sedit, the Coyote man. "There are springs enough on the earth. Why should there be more’!"
The other Brother went on with the story. "Olelbis has plans for these springs. As men live on earth they grow old. When men grow old, they become weak and bent and unable to do their work. Olelbis does not wish them to grow old and die. So he plans that when men grow old, they can climb this road, and bathe in one spring and drink from the other. Then they will have their youth Once more."
Sedit sat quietly for a time, thinking of what the Brothers had said. "Do you believe all this?" he asked at last.
The Brothers Hus were surprised. They had not thought of questioning the plan of Olelbis. But they were interested to know what Sedit meant. So they asked, "Why is it not a good plan?"
"What will people eat if nothing dies?" asked Sedit. "Deer will not die. Fish will not die. Men will not be able to kill anything. What will be left to eat? Nothing but acorns. How uninteresting it will be to live without hunting!"
The Brothers Hus began to be troubled. But Sedit had much more to say.
"I think it is better that men and women should marry and that new children should be born, than that old people should be made young. If they marry, the men will work for the women and the women will work for the men, and so they will help each other. If a man has a wife, he will catch fish and kill deer and bring them home and give them to his wife to cook. And if the woman has a child, her neighbors will say, ‘There is a nice baby over there, and they will go to see it. And so they may be glad together."
"But if someone dies, everyone will mourn and be sad," said the Brothers Hus. "That surely cannot be good."
"When a man grows old, let him die," said Sedit. "When a woman grows old let her die. When they die, the neighbors will come and say, ‘A man has died,’ or ‘A woman has died.’ Then they will make ready to help the relatives of the dead. I think this is better."
"Suppose," continued Sedit, "an old man goes up that road alone and comes back young. He is still alone just as before. They will have nothing to be glad about. They will never make friends. They will never have children. They will never have any fun in the world nor anything to do but to grow old and to go up that road and come back again young. It is not good."
The Brothers Hus had not thought of these things before. Yet the longer they thought, the more true Sedit’s words seemed.
"Let us destroy the road that we have built," one Brother finally said to the other. "Let us fly back to tell Olelbis these things. Perhaps he may change his plans for men."
Then Sedit, the Coyote man, turned and walked away, satisfied that he had spoken truly. And the Brothers Hus prepared to fly back to Olelpanti. They pulled several large stones out from the bottom of the pile and the whole road fell, the stones scattering far and wide.
Then just as they were ready to take flight up to Olelpanti, one of the Brothers called back to Sedit.
"Of course, you know that this means that you too will die– just as every other living thing upon the earth will die."
"Come back! Come back!" screamed Sedit. "We must talk some more."
But the two Brothers flew off. Higher and higher they rose, circling above Sedit, until at last he could see them no more.
"What am I to do now? I wish I had not said so much," thought Sedit. "I wish I had not said anything. I do not want to die. What can I do?"
For some time Sedit stood looking around helplessly–till he saw some sunflower plants growing nearby.
"If everything on earth is going to die," said Sedit, "then I am not going to remain on earth. I will make wings for myself, and I will fly to Olelpanti where all living things last forever."
So Sedit picked the leaves off the sunflower plant. He fastened them together in the shape of two wings, and tied the wings to his shoulders. Then he lifted himself as a bird into the air. He flew a short way without any trouble, but the hot noonday sun began to dry the leaves, and one by one they wilted and dropped off. He tried to fly faster in order to reach Olelpanti before the leaves were all gone. But the leaves fell faster than he could fly, Then he felt himself falling. He landed on the pile of rocks which was to have been the road to Olelpanti and was crushed to death.
Olelbis, looking down from Olelpanti, saw all that had happened.
"It is his own fault," he said to the Brothers Hus who had just arrived at Olelpanti. "Sedit is the first of all living things to die. He has been killed by his own words. From this time on, all men will die. They will know the gladness of birth. They will know the sorrow of death. And through these two things together men will come to know love."
An Advent Celebration
In many households around the world, the traditional advent wreath is part of the holiday season. Four candles are placed on the table in a wreath of evergreens, one to be lighted on each of the four Sndas preceding Christmas. Sometimes a central fifth candle is lighted on Christmas Day.
The tradition may well go back to the ancient firewheel, lighted in the darkest time of year to lure the sun back and ensure another spring. The placement of the candles at the four compass points of the wreath invokes the natural spirits of the North, East, South and West and the primal elements of earth, air, fire and water. The candles may also represent the seasons of the year and the seasons of our lives.
Lighting the advent candles, one at a time on each December Sunday, is a thoughtful and joyous way to prepare for Christmas, the winter solstice, and the turning of the year.
On the first Sunday, light the candle on the eastern side of the wreath and speak these words:
Spirit of the East, spirit of air, of morning and springtime: Be with us as the sun rises, in times of beginning, times of planting. Inspire us wth the fresh breath of courage as we go forth into new adventures.
On the second Sunday, relight the first candle and repeat the words above. Then light the candle on the southern side of the wreath and speak these words:
Spirit of the South, spirit of fire, of noontime and summer: Be with us through the heat of the day and help us to be ever growing. Warm us with strength and energy for th ework that awaits us.
On the third Sunday, relight the first two candles and repeat the appropriate words. Then light the candle on the western side of the wreath and speak these words:
Spirit of the West, spirit of water, of evening and autumn: Be with us as the sun sets and help us to enjoy a rich harvest.
Flow through us with a cooling, healing quietness and bring us peace.
On the fourth Sunday, relight the first three candles and repeat the appopriate words. Then light the candle on the northern side of the wreath and speak these words:
Spirit of the North, spirit of earth, of nighttime and winter: Be with us in the darkness, in the time of gestation. Ground us in the wisdom of the changing seasons as we celebrate the spiraling journey of our lives.
Blessed be!
The Birth of Confucius: A Story from China
THE MAN WHO BECAME the father of Confucius was called Kung the Tall because he towered head and shoulders above everyone else in his village. Kung the Tall lived in China a very long time ago. Kung the Tall was living in China when Buddha was born in India.
When this story begins Kung the Tall was an old man. As he thought back over the years of his long life he knew he ought to feel contented. He had been honored for his bravery as a soldier. He had been ruler of the people of his district. He had a faithful wife and a large family of nine children. He had enough money so that he could live comfortably, and he was highly respected by all who knew him.Yet Kung the Tall was a disappointed man.
His one most important wish had never come true.Kung was not happy. This was because all his nine children were girls, and Kung the Tall had no son to be company for him or to carry on the family name after his death.
But now the old man had a new wife beautiful and young. Perhaps even yet Kung the Tall might have a boy child. He had not given up hope. And all his neighbors sad all his friends were also hoping.
"If Kung the Tall does have a son, that child will someday be a great man" this was what everybody was saying. This was what everybody was wishing for, and none wished harder than Kung’s young wife.
Every day she made a wish for a boy child, and day by day she did what she could to make her wish come true. But she believed that somehow a child is always a gift for, the Creator of all Life. So Kung’s wife made her wish into a prayer to God. She even climbed to the top of a high mountain to make her prayer. Perhaps she felt nearer to the Creator when she could stand and look up at the wide, blue sky above and then look down on the broad, green earth below.
Kung’s wife returned home and waited patiently week after week. Before long she could feel the baby moving inside her body, and she was happy.
One evening as she was sitting alone in her garden in the dimness of the moonlight, she had a surprising dream. Seesaw a little animal coming towards her. It was not a goat, nor was it a sheep or a dog. The animals’ body shone in the moonlight. Its tail spread out like a fan and on its head was one turned-up horns Could it really be a Unicorn Surely only in storybooks was such an animal ever seen!
Kung’s wife threw a small silk scarf over the animal’s one horn just to see if it were really there. Yes, it was there, and it had in its mouth a long piece of jade. Kung’s wife wondered.
The Unicorn came closer until Kung’s wife could reach out her hand and take the stone tablet from its mouth. Her hands trembled as she tried to read the words that had been carved into the jade:
"A son of the Great Spirit is to be born. Someday he shall rule the land of Chou as a good and wise King."
Kung’s wife was frightened. She looked up to ask the Unicorn what the words might mean, but the strange animal was gone. Rung’s wife was left alone in her garden in the moonlight. She awoke trembling with wonder at what she had seen.
Not many weeks after this the longed-for day came. It was evening. Rung the Tall and his young wife were waiting for the final moment when their child would be born.In the garden outside the little cottage some of their friends were also waiting and hoping, moment by moment, for the good news.
Then they, too, had a surprise. High above them they saw two great dragons curling their long snake like bodies in and out among the clouds. Their fiery eyes turned this way and that as if they were watching the people on the earth. Said one of the waiting friends:
"Surely these good dragons are keeping guard over the blessed mother and over the child about to be born."
And beside the two long, fiery-eyed dragons, five old but wonderous men appeared in the sky, walking upon the clouds. Said one of the waiting friends:
"These five old men of the sky are the five immortals who never, never die. They have come down from the five planets to celebrate the birth of this great child."
And beside the two long, fiery-eyed dragons, and beside the five old men from the five planets, there appeared also in the sky among the soft clouds five musicians with pipes and harps in their hands, playing wondrous music and singing as they played. The words came down from the sky like the clear ringing of a bell:
"This night a child is born. He shall be a great King, who shall make good laws and shall help people to do the right."
When the young mother in the little Chinese home down below heard the sweet strains of the music, the piping and the singing, her waiting ended. Her boy child was born! To her it had all seemed much like a dream until she heard the voice of her husband:
"A son at last, my good wife. Now my happiness is full!" He lifted his newborn boy child and proudly laid him down in his mother’s arms.
For a long while he sat by his wife’s bed as the two of them looked in silence on the face of their young son. It was a homely face. But this did not matter to his happy parents. In their eyes he was a wonder child.
Presently, as they were fondling him, a strange writing seemed to show on the child’s breast. Five Chinese characters! What could they mean?
Wiser ones than Kung the Tall were called into the room to read the writing. They were amazed when they saw the characters, for the words on the child’s body were those of the heavenly song:
"This night a child is born. He shall be a great King who shall make good laws and shall help people to do the right."
So this is the very old story of the birth of Confucius. Kung-fu-tze, the Chinese say, meaning Kung the Master, or Kung the Teacher. We say Confucius for short.
But this Chinese boy child of long ago did not become a King. Instead he taught other men how to rule their people wisely. Confucius also taught that being able to rule oneself is more important than ruling others. So Confucius had wise words for everybody, big and little, rich and poor. Even after more than two thousand years millions of Chinese still honor Confucius and follow his teachings. All over the world he is regarded as one of the wisest and greatest teachers who has ever lived.
Guided Mediation
10 minutes
Invite participants into a guided mediation. Begin by asking them to find a comfortable position either sitting with a straight spine on a cushion or lying on the rug on the floor. Ask them to close their eyes and take a couple of long, slow, deep breaths. Continue by saying something like the following guiding words from On the Path by Wayne Arnason: "Now I’d like you to take a cleansing breath by first exhaling all of your discouragements and disappointments of this past week, breathing them out as you exhale…And now slowly inhale hope and vision…And now take another cleansing breath by exhaling pain and sadness…And now exhale tension and frustration…And inhale relaxation and peace." (Pause for 10 seconds).
"Now let come into your awareness one of your favorite places in nature, a place that you visit on a regular basis, perhaps in your backyard or in a nearby park or woods or near your congregation. A place nearby that is special to you, where you can feel a sense of peace…Now let your imagination take you to that place." (Pause for 20 seconds.)
"Find a comfortable spot to sit in this place…And experience the energy of this place…Feel your inner self becoming quiet, calm…As you sit, feel yourself connecting with the essence of this place, its own inner energy…Feel how this energy can help to hold you, to heal you, to nurture you." (Pause for 20 seconds.)
"Now invite yourself to communicate with the essence of this special place. You may imagine this essence of energy taking on a form, or you may wish to experience it in a more general way…Let the essence become very real to you…Now express your gratitude to this essence for helping to nurture you…Ask this essence how it would like to be treated…Ask if it has a message for you. Be still within and listen for an answer." (Pause for 30 seconds.)
"Now feel your sense of gratitude for having this special place available to you." (Pause for 10 seconds.)
"And when you are ready, bring your awareness back to this room and open your eyes."
When all participants have opened their eyes, gather in a circle and invite them to share how they experienced the guided mediation.
