Background for Teachers for "Was Jesus really born on Christmas?"
"In our manner of telling the story of the birth of Jesus… we have tried to give some understanding of how the story first came to be told, and in addition we have placed it alongside the stories of the miraculous births of Buddha and Confucius. With the three stories side by side, it is hoped that children may be given a broader understanding which will enable them to think for themselves. We hope that the result will not be merely a negative disbelief; that it may rather be a new appreciation of the significance to humankind of a truly great person and a realization that all people everywhere feel touched by an unutterable mystery when in the presence of a newborn babe." – Sophia Lyons Fahs in From Long Ago and Many Lands
The Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths were the essence of Buddha’s first sermon after his enlightenment. These truths are the following:
I. Everything and everyone in existence suffers.
II. Suffering is caused by selfishness, greed, and desire.
III. Selfishness, greed, and desire can be stopped.
IV. They can be stopped by following eight steps:
1. Believe only what is true, or right belief.
2. Live in a loving, nonviolent way, or right purpose.
3. Learn to speak well to others, or right speech.
4. Treat yourself well but do not overindulge, or right conduct.
5. Choose a good vocation, or right vocation.
6. Be alert and sensitive about life, or right effort.
7. Train your mind to think clearly, or right thought.
8. Meditate regularly on the meaning of life, or right meditation.
The Buddha taught that one should avoid extremes of human behavior. The Four Noble Truths, he taught, can help one avoid extremes and have a meaningful life.
Stefania’s Story
Explain that the story is about a girl the children’s age who had a hard decision to make. Then read or tell the following story.
Back in the early days of this century, a young schoolgirl and her family moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to a small town in the same province. Her name was Stefania. Her father had bought a general store in the town and sold groceries and candy, buttons and boots, paint and hammers, and all manner of useful and interesting things. He and Stefania’s mother and her brothers and sisters were considered important people in the town because of the store.
It was summer when the family moved to the town. Stefania found it easy to make new friends in her neighborhood. For one thing, she was a friendly person. For another there was the store with the bins of cookies and the penny candy in the glass case, and she was allowed to treat her friends when they came to the store with her.
When September came and it was time for school to start, Stefania did not feel like a new pupil at all, for she already had friends who would be at school with her, and she looked forward to making new ones. She also looked forward to going to the little Unitarian church on the edge of town. It had been closed all summer. Her family had been members of the Icelandic Unitarian Church in Winnipeg and Stefania had gone to Sunday school.
At recess on the first day of school all the pupils went outside to play. Soon they were busy with their games and Stefania was finding new friends. In a little while, though, she noticed a girl about her age in a dress that looked like a hand-me-down standing apart from all the others, not joining in the games.
"Why doesn’t that girl over there play with us?" she asked. "Oh, we couldn’t play with her," someone said. "She’s a Unitarian." It didn’t take Stefania even a second to decide what to do. "Then you can’t play with me either," she said, "for I’m a Unitarian too." And she walked away from the group and introduced herself to the other girl.
This is a true story. It happened at a time when some people didn’t like Unitarians because Unitarians believe that the search for truth is important in religion and don’t believe that Jesus was a God. Some people didn’t like Universalists because Universalists believe that love toward others is the most important part of religion and don’t believe that anyone will go to hell forever. It was sometimes very hard to be a Unitarian or a Universalist.
Background for Christmas Story
The essence of the Christmas story is the birth of the baby Jesus. No one knows at what time of the year Jesus was born. Long after his death, stories of Jesus’ birth were collected and written down. The growing Christian Church wanted to celebrate his birth, and the church fathers decided that it should be during the most beloved and universal festivals celebrated by people around the world. The time of mid-winter celebrations– festivals of light–was decreed as the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ–Christmas.
Old festivals and customs were added to the new celebrations of the Christmas story, of the child born in a manger, of shepherds and wise men who visited the manger, and of angels and heavenly hosts who sang and proclaimed the birth. Stories were gathered from many places and times and woven into story and song and poetry that is the magic of Christmas.
Unitarian Universalists are often concerned about interpreting the Christmas festival and all the legends and symbols that have grown up around the story of the birth of Jesus. You may wish to read the story from the Bible. There are two versions in the Gospels: Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-20.
Or you may wish to tell the Christmas story with natural simplicity emphasizing the wonders of birth and the power of love. Christmas In the Stable or Christmas in the Barn are excellent books with this interpretation for young children. Another possible way of telling the Christmas story is to place it next to the birth stories of Buddha and Confucius as they appear in From Long Ago and Many Lands, edited by Sophia Lyon Fahs.
In this session there is a simple version of the Christmas story. You can select another story or stories you feel is most appropriate to the families in your religious education program and Unitarian Universalist congregation. Remember that it is very difficult for a child of this age to distinguish between fact and symbolic meanings. The messages of hope in times of darkness, hope in a violent world for peace on earth and good will to all people, and the importance and promise of every child born into this world are the central meanings of the Christmas story.
Background for "Hide and Seek with God"
Game playing is not only fun for children, it is one of the ways they learn all sorts of things. Adults continue to practice skills and find enjoyment in games, also. Especially popular are games in which something is hidden and the goal is to find it. From peek-a-boo to mystery weekends, it is clear that our love of searching for something hidden is more than just a game. Our normal curiosity about things and life’s way of always providing something new for us to figure out, combine to make the metaphor of hide and seek inherently meaningful to us.
At times, it can seem as though the purpose of our being here on earth is for us to search for answers to the hidden mysteries of life. It can seem as though a divine power created a world full of paradoxes and then put us here, without explanation, leaving us to try to figure it all out. Another way of explaining this feeling that life is something of a game is expressed by Alan Watts in his book entitled The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. In this book, Watts works with the following Hindu concepts: that all is ultimately Brahman or God; that our lack of understanding this is because of the magic of maya; and that figuring it out is lila, a playful game. He likens the game to Hide and Seek in which God, who is all, hides by pretending to be all the various things in the world including each one of us. However, Watts says, "when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will wake up, stop pretending, and remember that we are all one single Self, the God who is all that there is and who lives for ever and ever."
Religions, other than Hinduism, in varying ways, also have a sense of God as hidden. In Islam one of the ninety nine names of God is The Hidden; but for Muslims, God is totally other and ultimately unknowable. Christian belief presumes that God, though originally concealed, finally becomes known through God’s own revelation. In general, the emphasis is on God’s revealing rather than on human discovery. Paul, however does write in Acts 17: 26, "From one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and [God] allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for [God] and find [God] though indeed [God] is not far from each one of us. For ‘In [God] we live and move and have our being;’ …"
Where one might find God differs from religion to religion; in fact, answers to this question may well be a part of what differentiates one religion from another. Jews might say they find God in historical actions of freedom and justice; Christians might say God is revealed in the love found in the life and person of Jesus; and Muslims might say they find the one God in the words of the Quran. In Alan Watts’ story and~ in the story in this curriculum God is found in everything that is: earth and sky; light and dark; people’s caring actions; within ourselves; and even in the not knowing. For if God is a symbol for ultimate reality, values, and mystery,one’s unknowing can be considered one’s ultimate reality.
This metaphor in which God hides and humans search is supported by the UU Principle which urges us to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We search in all of our Sources: our own experience, the `words and deeds of prophetic women and men,wisdom from the world religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, and humanist teachings.
How can I help the world?
Goals:
To understand the meaning of making a "covenant"
To identify, design, and plan a stewardship project
To affirm individual contributions of time, talent, and resources to the project
To experience a sense of accomplishment for what they have done, and for making a difference in the lives of people in the congregation (or CLF), community, or faith
Materials:
A blank journal or notebook for each child
Chalice, candle, and matches
Building blocks (wood, cardboard, or plastic), two or three sets
Scissors
Tape or glue
Newsprint
Crayons and markers
Collection basket
Singing the Living Tradition hymnal
Preparation:
Read Family Stewardship Letter; Children, Money and Values: Ten Principles; and Helping Children with Allowances and Savings
Read the session below and decide who will lead each activity or how you will adapt it to suit your circumstances.
Collect needed resources and supplies.
If you wish, make arrangements with children who have musical gifts to share them during the closing ceremony. Such participation offers them a way to be stewards to Unitarian Universalism, and gives the closing ceremony more variety.
Copy template onto card stock for each child. Make a sample Stewardship Box.
Choose a project that is significant to your community. Make your project fit into the final celebration. The sample Celebration of Commitments provided includes a suggested format, but we encourage you to be creative.
When defining your project, consider these guiding questions:
What am I capable of doing?
What talents can I share?
What resources (treasure) do I have to offer?
How much time can we give to this project?
As you talk and plan the project with the children, consider carefully the following points:
The success of the project will depend on the children’s commitment to participate, your commitment to plan, arrange, and follow up, and the commitment of the people recruited from your community and the chosen social service agency to work with your group.
The kind of project that children of this age are most able to complete successfully is a service project involving either collecting and donating goods and/or donating time and effort to help or serve in a particular way.
Choose a project that can be begun and completed in a single morning.
Your project or actions can be in one or all of the three stewardship settings. For example, your students could decide to participate in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee‘s Guest at Your Table program, or bake cookies and take them to shut-ins. The possibilities are almost endless. An important attitude to nurture is affirmation of individual gifts. People can learn to be generous. You provide an opportunity for your children to make a meaningful gift. The reward comes as the children see they have made a difference.
Some financial commitment to your congregation or CLF and larger Unitarian Universalist Association is an important part of the project. We are most likely to experience the joy of giving when we sort through our priorities and find a time and place for it in our lives. By educating participants about the value of stewardship, and by encouraging them to make giving to our communities, congregations, and other Unitarian Universalist institutions a part of our religious life, we challenge our congregation and Unitarian Universalist institutions to integrate young people into the full life of our religious communities. Empowerment and joy are the key words.
Activities:
Read, discuss, and plan an activity from Covenant for Kids
Lead the Stewardship session as follows:
Opening (10 minutes)
Start by allowing the children to build with blocks together.
Commentary (5 minutes)
1. Comment on the structures that the children have built and how some worked together and some built alone. State that this is similar to how we build stewardship in our congregation, our community, and the world. Sometimes we do things as individuals, like collecting for UNICEF; at other times, we do things in groups, like building a house for Habitat for Humanity.
2. Show them the sample Stewardship Boxes you have made. Discuss the six sides and items you’ve written or drawn on each side.
Story/Activity (20 minutes)
1. Tell the story of a stewardship project in which you have participated, such as Guest At Your Table, a Habitat for Humanity project, visits to hospital patients or the elderly, or a capital campaign fund drive.
2. Invite the children to the activity table. Distribute to each child a Stewardship Box pattern that you have copied onto card stock. Demonstrate how to create their own by doing one for yourself, as follows:
A. On each side of the box, draw a symbol to represent:
your name
your grade
a way you help at home
a way you are a steward in congregation
a way you are a steward in your community
a way you can be a steward for the UUA or the world
B. Cut out the box on the solid outside line. (For younger children, cut them ahead of time.)
C. Fold in on all the dotted lines.
D. Glue/tape the flaps and glue/tape them to the inside walls to form a box.
2. Help children make their own Stewardship Boxes, completing the six sides with their individual pictures and words.
Contemplation (15 minutes)
Invite children to bring their Stewardship Boxes and gather in a circle. Ask each child to share one side as you build a structure together with the boxes. Encourage participants to explain how they are or can be good stewards at home, in the congregation, in the community, or in the world.
On a sheet of newsprint or the chalkboard, list four or five ideas from the boxes (including your own) that would be practical projects for your community. The project might last only a week—e.g., baking cookies for shut-ins—or it might be a longer, ongoing project such as recycling or cleanup.
Discuss the pros and cons of the four or five choices. Then have the children vote on which project they will pursue. Point out that the use of the democratic process is one of our UU Principles and Purposes.
Commitment/Celebration (10 minutes)
Share how they can use their Stewardship Box.
Summarize the session by saying, “Today we shared how we can be good stewards at home, in the congregation, in the community, and in the world. We decided to _________________________________ to help care for ______________________________.”
Sing “We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands.”
Background for Moses in the Burning Bush
This part of the story of Moses reinforces our belief in the historical existence of a Hebrew who was raised in the Egyptian court. Here Moses is shown identifying with a Hebrew who is being beaten and with the other Hebrew workers, even though they resent him when he interferes and confront him angrily: "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us!" He goes into exile because of his actions on the part of the Hebrews, yet the daughters of Reuel/Jethro in Midian mistake him for an Egyptian. And the "miracles" Moses is later empowered to do are those the Egyptian magicians can also produce.
No one is certain where Midian was. There are two possibilities: on the Sinai Peninsula and in the area east of the Gulf of Aqabah.
The two names for Moses’ father-in-law, Reuel and Jethro, can he explained by the fact that they appear in different sections, taken from different traditions, and the editors did not feel it was important to harmonize the two versions. In both cases, however, he is depicted as a priest of Midian.
The pharaoh who died is likely to have been Seti I, who died in 1290 B.C.E. The death of a pharaoh would be an auspicious time for the slaves to attempt a rebellion.
It is common in the Near East to take off one’s shoes when in the presence of the holy.
The angel may have been a messenger from God or an epiphany, and fire–for example, in halos– is often a symbol of God’s presence.
In order for Moses to convince the Hebrews of his authority, it was important for him to know God’s name. The Hebrew words for God’s answer can be translated variously as "I am what I am," "I am who I am," or "I will be what I will be." Albright, a noted biblical scholar, suggests the best meaning is "He causes to be what comes into existence." Some scholars question the likelihood of such an abstract name in those times, but there are examples of other, similar Near Eastern epithets for gods.
Third- and fourth-grade children are beginning to be able to make a commitment and stick to it, even if only for a limited period. In their imagination they can try out the feeling of being "called," and the idea of causes worthy of lifelong dedication, even if they are not quite ready for such dedication themselves. Children this age can identify with the oppression of slaves and their yearning to be free, and imagine an inner commitment to the cause of their freedom.
Another topic of interest will be "what really happened" at the scene of the burning bush and the other miracles. Eight-and nine-year olds are working hard to sort out the facts of things, to understand how things work and what is real. Let them discuss possible explanations, but bring them back to the question of how the miracles relate to commitment and the accomplishment of something so difficult that it might seem a "miracle."
What is prejudice?
Goal:
To explore the concepts of prejudice and racism and understand that racial prejudice is wrong.
Preparation:
Purchase an Ugli fruit at your local grocery store. If you can’t find ugli fruit, buy another one that is unusual looking but good tasting, like kiwi, pomegranate, jicamo, or prickly pear.
Find a copy of the book Teammates, by Paul Golenbock in your local library.
Pre-read Opening, Focusing, and Exploring and adapt as appropriate to your situation.
Activities:
Conduct the Opening, Focusing, and Exploring as you’ve adapted to your situation.
Have your snack of ugli fruit. (Focusing)
Read Teammates and discuss.
The Ten Commandments
AFTER THE HEBREWS LEFT EGYPT, they traveled in the wilderness. It was a very hard trip, and they were hungry and discouraged by the time they camped, three months later, at the foot of Mount Sinai. Mountains were considered holy places then. So Moses went up on Mount Sinai to talk to God. God told Moses that the children of Israel would become a holy nation. When Moses reported to the people what God said, they replied, "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do,"
The next time Moses went up on the mountain, God told him to have the people devote themselves to goodness for two days. On the third day Moses was to come back on the mountain and God would appear.
On the third day there were thunder and lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain, God had come down to the mountaintop in fire and smoke, and the mountain shook violently. God called Moses to come to the top of the mountain, saying, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments, which I have written for their instruction." Moses set out with his assistant, Joshua, while the people waited at the foot of the mountain. Moses was on the cloud-covered mountain for six days before he heard from God. Moses remained with God for another forty days and forty nights. When God finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, God gave him the two tablets of commandments, two tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
While Moses was away, the people complained that they didn’t know what had happened to him. They wanted Aaron,Moses’ brother, to make a god they could worship. Aaron took all the gold in the camp and made a statue of a golden calf. When Moses returned, after forty-seven days, with the two stone tablets, he found the people dancing and worshiping the golden calf. Moses was so angry he threw the stone tablets from his hand and broke them at the foot of the mountain. This broke the covenant between the people and God. Then Moses took the calf they had made, burnt it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the people drink it.
Some time later, after the people had shown that they repented, God forgave them. God said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you broke." God was willing to renew the covenant because the people were now willing to follow God’s commandments. This is what the ten commandments said:
I. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself an idol to worship.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of God.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not kill.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s.
Bible Pictionary Background and Instructions
When I was growing up, the Bible was a big part of my religious indoctrination. I know my kids need to learn about the Bible it’s so much a part of the world. But getting back into it pushes so many of my buttons — it’s just too confusing. Sound familiar? The Bible is one of those "difficult topics" for many UU parents. We want our children to know the classic stories and famous quotes of the Bible but are unsure how to teach them and, in some cases, unsure why it is important. This hesitancy is understandable.
Many UUs who come from faith traditions in which the Bible is considered the "word of God" — the only religious authority — fear any Bible instruction as potential indoctrination. I have often found the old Universalist image of the Bible-as-a-gold-mine helpful in thinking about Bible study. As you dig for the gold, you find a lot of stuff you want to reject, some you want to save and decide about later, and some you know is the real thing.
We need to teach our children to be Bible gold-miners, for there is much in the Bible that speaks to our UU faith. After all, liberal religion evolved from traditional Christianity.
Many UU precepts and values are stated in the Bible. Knowing where and how to find these spiritual and religious gems reinforces the values and helps children converse intelligently in our Judeo/Christian-dominant culture. You can start introducing the Bible when your children are young by reading from either a children’s Bible or a collection of Bible stories.
Timeless Themes and The Life and Teachings of Jesus are two good sources to borrow from the CLF Loan Library. The UUA Bookstore carries several different illustrated children’s Bibles. But to really become "Bible literate," children need to be familiar with the real thing. Being naturally curious about where things come from, children enjoy using their reading skills to look things up in the Bible–especially if it’s made into a game. Here’s an idea from UU educator Virginia Steele called Bible Pictionary. This summer, add this game to your family’s repertoire. It’s a lively, fun way to learn famous Biblical quotations. Reading in greater depth may naturally follow. Here’s how to play.
Bible Pictionary Materials:
Bible Cards with Biblical quotes —cut from this page or make your own–placed in a basket or "grab bag"
Pencils, crayons or markers
Timer (optional)
Object: To get your teammates to guess within one minute the word you are drawing (or untimed if you prefer) and to then locate the Bible passage in which the word is found.
How to Play:
Divide your family into two teams. Taking turns, one person from each team picks a quote from the basket and tries to get his/her teammates to guess the key word (the one in capital letters) by drawing pictures.
After the keyword is identified, the drawer looks up the quote in the Bible and reads the whole passage aloud. (e.g.: BREAD "Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 5:24, is found in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 24.)